


How thick is blood?

by AnonymousFloatingEyeball



Category: Dororo (Anime 2019)
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Alternate Ending, Brotherly Bonding, Crying, Demons, Fights, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Possible Character Death, Villains to Heroes, new antagonist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:53:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27353779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonymousFloatingEyeball/pseuds/AnonymousFloatingEyeball
Summary: This is an alternate ending to Dororo (2019) which I thought was an almost perfect anime if not for the ending. I envisioned an alternate ending, and then had some more bad ideas;Hyakkimaru manages to save Tahomaru, his mother, and Jukai from their deaths in the end, however, it cost him his eyesight, meanwhile, a new demon has joined the party, and this one is particularly sadistic. While Dororo must face a new problem and Hyakkimaru and his biological family begin to reconcile, this new demon has set his sights on toying with them all, and he will do it through other humans. Hope yall enjoy.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

Underneath the hall of hell; the last remaining of its twelve patron demons, Asura, had was pondering before the final battle would take place in Daigo, when his thoughts were interrupted;

_“_ _Fufufufu, how pathetic”_ came a derisive voice, “the eleven of you were beaten by a mere human, and a crippled little bishounen at that”

Asura turned to the impertinent demon and recognized him immediately. A beast with the form of a white leopard, with the skin of a serpent, and a malicious grin on his face, and cruel mocking laughter on his lips. “You!?” Asura said with surprise, “what are you doing this far east?”

“I'm going to be here for a while” he replied. “Why!? Nimuru?” 

“Because” replied Nimuru, its been a while since anyone has messed with the lords of hell to such an extent, so I thought it would be fun to come out of hiding and mess things up, even more, Asura...” he said turning to face his colleague, “you have absorbed the boy’s arms and eyes from Nue and Kyubi correct?” 

“Yes” Asura replied, “I took them from Nue and Kyubi before the child could take them back, and I’ve given his eyes to his younger brother”

“I wonder...” said Nimuru, “...How much thought you’ve put into this?... fufufufu! I hope that you fail Asura, as a matter of fact, I am sure that you will”

Asura merely scoffed, but then again, Nimuru was a much older, and much more powerful demon than he was, he could do nothing.

“Once you have failed” continued Nimuru, “I will have the pleasure of destroying those boys myself”

* * *

Tahomaru; despite all of his feelings of righteousness, eventually lost to his older brother, they had fought hard; Tahomaru was bigger and stronger than Hyakkimaru, and he was angry, but Hyakkimaru who had struggled all of his life, proved to be the better fighter all the same, and in the clarity of his defeat, Daigo Tahomaru; realized his how misplaced his anger had been, and now the palace in which they had fought; was burning around them.

“I lose...” said Tahomaru with an air of relief, “...No, I’ve always been losing to you… always.” 

Hyakkimaru whose ability to comprehend and express language was limited; now found himself in a situation where advanced language was unnecessary, “Tahomaru” he uttered the name of his brother, and knelt down to his eye-level, and smiled at him forgivingly; no further words were needed, in that moment, both brothers understood one-another perfectly, but that moment was interrupted by Asura.

Tahomaru gave a loud cry! And rose to his feet! Writhing as he wrestled with the demon within him! The one who had given him his brother’s eyes! Hyakkimaru who was had not yet regained his vision could still see the souls… seeing his brother’s overtaken by the energy of a demon; he flinched and jumped backward.

“Tis my chanced to fulfill the contract!” he screamed in words that were not his own; but fighting to retain himself, Tahomaru knew what to do stop this demon from taking him! “Demon’s don’t give up easily huh?! Brother!...” he said to Hyakkimaru, struggling in his words and actions “...I will give these back to you!” and with that, Tahomaru reached into his right, and forehead eyesockets, and pulled out the eyes given to him by the Asura, severing their contract, they evaporated in his hands, and Hyakkimaru suddenly felt his eyes burn, he buried them in his arms, the 12th demon, weakened by what Tahomaru had done; in a last attempt to crush Hyakkimaru, spring up from below in its physical form, ripping threw the floorboards, and grabbing the boy with tendrils made of demonic energy, buy Hyakkimaru broke the grip of the weakened demon, and jumped onto it, stapping its crystal nucleus, and killing it for good. Hyakkimaru felt an upward gust of energy, almost as if his body were weightless, he opened his eyes as he felt them disappear, and then the burning in his eyes intensified, as his sight was returned to him, he collapsed to the floor, his ponytail undone, his hands clutching his face, his feet scraping against the floor in pain, Tahomaru watched from across the room, at his brother in this helpless state, as a burning wooden girder began to collapse on him, “Br… brother” he called out and tried to save him, but he was just as helpless, weakened by his struggle with the demon, and losing blood after breaking the contract; he collapsed to the ground, realizing that he would not have enough strength to live after this himself, as he heard the crash of the falling rubble, he glanced up in horror, expecting to see Hyakkimaru’s crushed body; instead, he saw his own mother, cradling Hyakkimaru in her lap as if he were a baby and a man whom he did not know, protecting them both, shielding them from the burning rubble with a plank of wood, and the strength of his own body.

“Hyakkimaru...” their mother called softly, “my boy” Hyakkimaru, his eyes still closed, felt himself in the gentle and warm embrace of lady Nui, “finally I can hold you,” she said as she held him close “I should have never have let you go, I should have just held you close like this, how I love you. How I love you so dearly” her tears falling freely into his long dark hair. Hyakkimaru’s eyes no longer burnt, despite the palace crumbling around them, he felt warm and safe in his mother’s arms.

Now Jukai, the man who had adopted and raised him, stood up and spoke; “Hyakkimaru, forgive me, what I should have given you wasn’t arms or legs...” he handed something to the boy, a small wooden statue, Hyakkimaru took it in his hands, still not ready to open his eyes, felt the beautifully carved face; of a veiled woman. “...listen Hyakkimaru, you must live, let a human, not a demon reside in your blood-stained body, you already have the embers glowing within you” 

As Hyakkimaru held the statue, his mother held his hands in her own for the last time, as the voice of Dororo called out to him "Aniki!" from the escape route.

“Go now,” Nui said to her son, there is a child who is waiting for you, one who will stay by your side. “Go” Jukai encouraged him, helping him to his feet, and lead him to the tunnel where Dororo would be waiting for him, but then, instead of going with him, Jukai went back into the burning room, Hyakkimaru turned around and opened his eyes, at first, he saw nothing but the color of their souls as he normally did, his mother, and Jukai, going to attend to his younger brother… going to remain there with him, and die with him, and in a fraction of a second, Hyakkimaru thought that his sight was going to clear up, and then he collapsed in pain as his eyes began to burn again.

Meanwhile, watching from somewhere else, a devilish grin spread across Nimuru’s face, he had already taken action.


	2. Is blood thicker than our grudges?

Tahomaru felt his life fading away as he bled on the floor of his burning home, he felt his head lifted and placed in his mother’s lap, “mo…ther” he said weakly.

“Tahomaru” she said softly, “forgive me for making you so lonely, but I will stay by your side forever now, do not worry...”

Suddenly, so he could not explain it, Tahomaru's eyes shot open! _Both_ of his eyes! The boy who was dying a second ago now jumped to his feet; "there is no time for this mother!" He cried, and then lifting her up ran towards the exit, Jukai who had resigned himself to die here watched an astonishment, when a pile of burning debris fell covering the exit; the doctor sprang into action, he rushed towards it ahead of Tahomaru and his mother, and crash through the pile of debris with his weight clearing a path for them, Dororo let out a startled shriek as the three of them fell through the opening into the tunnel, Hyakkimaru still had his eyes buried in his hands. "Tahomaru…" Lady Nui exclaimed as the boy rose to his feet, "...your eye… your face…" Tahomaru stood there in shock as he processed what I just happened, slowly bringing his hands to his face he found that not only was his right eye back, but the scar on his forehead was gone as well, Tahomaru's whole body was trembling, "what…. Happened?..." His thoughts were interrupted by a crash from the collapsing building above, "we gotta go!" Shouted Dororo, "Aniki! C'mon!" Hyakkimaru pulled his hands away from his eyes, and opened them…. He could see The souls of Dororo, of his brother, his mother, and the burly man whom he had for the longest time known as "his Mama'' but beyond that everything else was still black, he was still blind.

* * *

The old Priest, Biwamaru; having helped the five of them out of the tunnel; waited patiently for them to catch their breath and then began to hear they're telling of the situation; Hyakkimaru had been reunited with his mother, and Tahomaru had somewhat reconciled with both of them, and was now meeting Dororo and Jukai for the first time; beyond that the situation was curious, and Biwamaru heard the accounts from both Tahomaru and Hyakkimaru on what had happened, Tahomaru explained vividly and articulately, everything he had seen and everything he had felt; how he had felt himself slipping into unconsciousness before feeling a sudden surge of strength, and a sudden pain in his right eye, which told him his right eye had returned to him. Hyakkimaru's explanation was short and simple; he did not see much as his eyes were closed almost the entire time, and he had difficulty expressing what went through his mind at the time, but Biwamaru seemed to understand.

"I believe I know what happened," he said, he pointed up to the last floor of the burning palace; "up there" he explained, "I saw the energy of a demon disappear as it was slain, but almost immediately after I saw the presence of yet another demon, and energy pass between it Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru" 

"What does this mean?" Asked Jukai with concern.

"I believe" continued the priest, that Hyakkimaru without realizing it; subconsciously agreed to a trade what was proposed by… another demon"

The five listeners all looked nervous at this, Dororo began to tremble, and reached out to hold Hyakkimaru's hand, only to feel that it was trembling too.

The priest continued with his observation; "I do not know who or what this demon was, and I can't say what it's intentions were, but it seems that Hyakkimaru could not leave his brother to die, and so In This moment, the demon healed Tahomaru, but took Hyakkimaru's vision yet again"

Nui gasped and put her hands over her mouth, Hyakkimaru looked at the ground Tahomaru looked like a deer caught in the headlights, not even noticing that Dororo was glaring daggers at him.

"However I don't believe this transaction could have taken place without Hyakkimaru wanting it to happen" the Priest concluded.

Dororo seemed to be placated but still mad, Jukai had reacted to the whole situation with a mixture of relief and stoicism, Lady Nui's one of almost pure relief. 

Out of all of them, Tahomaru seemed to be the most shocked by this, he stood there struggling what to make of it all. Half an hour ago he was trying to kill Hyakkimaru who had been hellbent on getting his eyes back; had given them up in order to save him… _But why?_ Though they were related by blood, they had never known each other, only fought as enemies. Why would his brother do this for him?... 

Now Hyakkimaru who had been silent, it began to cry, his body shook like a leaf, before the pile of emotions betrayed him completely, mixtures of relief, frustration, and confusion, all manifested themselves into flowing tears, Dororo, Nui and Jukai tried to comfort him, but saying this Tahomaru was overwhelmed with guilt, Hyakkimaru who had had so much taken from him, had now lost even more, and Tahomaru felt that it was due to his own stubbornness, and even though he could see; he felt that he had been blinder than his brother this whole time, now his eyes too weld up with tears, until he was crying louder than Hyakkimaru was. 

"Brother I'm sorry!" He exclaimed!

He approached Hyakkimaru in adjuration, but the two of them ended up collapsing into one another, before they knew what was happening, they were weeping in each other's embrace.

****

Tahomaru and Nui were delighted to learn from Dororo; of the vast treasure which had been hidden by the Brigand chief Hibukoro, and that Dororo was willing to give it to the people of Daigo so that they could lift themselves out of poverty. They had survived the recent War, but barely, and Daigo Kagemitsu, had only just returned to find his lands in such a ruined state, his home was burnt down, and his wife and son could not be found, he believed that they had been killed.

Dororo still did not fully trust Tahomaru, but nonetheless; set out to collect the treasure with a small band of men, mostly farmers, and a few soldiers provided by Tahomaru, but the child was still worried about Hyakkimaru; of course Hyakkimaru was never much for words, to begin with, but even still the silence worried Dororo.

He was however able to open up more with his mother, and his surrogate Father Jukai, whom he now correctly referred to as "Papa". 

He and Tahomaru were no longer enemies, they had developed an understanding of one another, but the brothers were mostly silent when together, there was still an awkwardness between them. Hyakkimaru knew that Mutsu and Hyogo had been like family to Tahomaru, and even though he did not directly cause their deaths, he still feared that Tahomaru on some subconscious level, blamed him for it, and still blamed him for the desolation of the domain.

Tahomaru on the other hand, more so than blaming himself for the pain he had caused his brother, could not help but wonder if their roles have been reversed, after all; Hyakkimaru was the firstborn, he should have been the heir, and yet he had been the one raised in the palace, while Hyakkimaru struggled every day just to survive, even thinking about how much smaller he was despite being a year older; made him uneasy. Tahomaru was just under 170 centimeters tall and weighed 60 Kilograms, normal for a boy of his age. Hyakkimaru on the other hand, in addition to being shorter, weighed only 34 Kilograms.

This of course had not made Hyakkimaru any worse of a fighter, on the contrary, he used it to his lightweight and nimbleness to his advantage, but Tahomaru could not help but think that had he been in his older brother's position; he would not have survived, and so, the two of them walked in silence along the path, until they came to the bottom of the stairs, the stairs that led to the Hall of Hell…

"Are you sure about this brother?" Tahomaru asked, "Do you want me to go with you?" 

"No… I need to go to father by myself"

Turning one last time to see his brother's saddened, face before he left Hyakkimaru put a hand on his shoulder and smiled,

"Don't worry" he assured him, "I will come back" 

Tahomaru smiled back and nodded, and Hyakkimaru began his ascent up the steps, both of them were eager to talk to the other when Hyakkimaru returned, both had so many questions for the other which they did not know how to ask, as for what he would say to their father; neither of them had any idea what could be said or how the encounter would go, and so Hyakkimaru continued up the steps, tightly holding on to the statuette that Jukai had given him, the one of the Goddess of Mercy.

****

Chijoku no Jō was an infamous man, even during the era of warring states, where samurai who failed to adhere to the code of honor were everywhere; Jō stood out from among the crowd. To have called him a brute was an understatement. His unmatched skills as a swordsman allowed him to get away with his behavior for a long time, but even still, his perversions, and overall disloyalty to his Lord eventually caught up with him, so when his Daimyo expelled him from his realm, he left with a band of followers, and the Daimyo's head, along with loot from the palace, and kidnapped woman from the Daimyo's own family, this earned him the name "Chijoku no Jō" Jō the disgrace. Detestable as he was, Jō did have one human virtue, though he lacked loyalty for anyone above him, he treated his subordinates like family, he was a man who never drank alone, so when three of his men were kidnapped, and then returned to him completely insane, he vowed revenge, and on this particular night he was going to get it.

"Where the hell is the bastard that calls himself Nimuru!?" Terrified patrons scattered at the terrifying sight of Chijoku no Jō, he was a large muscular man with short black hair and a large pale flat face; and with his long sword drawn, he was an imposing presence; but one man in the back perked up at the sight of him. He was a sanguine man, of average height and looks, he stood up from his table and greeted the gangster; "Jō! You finally found me! A bit longer than I expected though, and here I was trying to make it as easy on you as possible…"

"YYYAAAARRRRRGGHHH!" Jō did not even ask to confirm if this was Nimuru, he charged at him in a fit of rage, and cut clean through him, from shoulder to hip.

  
  


****

All of the lamps had gone out, The Tea house was dark and empty, except for a single human, Chijoku no Jō who stood perfectly still, except for him, only two things were in that room; The corpse of a man which never existed, and the true form of Nimuru, The white leopard with the skin of a snake, And he circled around the disgraced samurai.

"Who the hell are you?" Asked Jō with apprehension.

"I am what you might call, a demon"

"A… a demon?"

"Yes a demon" he continued as he walked in circles around him, "a demon from the cradle of civilization, when heaven's vault became unsealed, I was one of the spirits to escape"

"Who… are you!?" Jō repeated.

"My name" replied the demon, "is one that you men of the rising sun would have trouble pronouncing, your language is simply too soft" And he snickered at this comment, "so I go by Nimuru" he continued closing in on Jō, "and I have come all the way to the land of the rising sun…"

"My men… why did you do that to my men?"

"I figured what better way to attract your attention? After all, You and I are burns of a feather"

"So you did this to punish me!?" 

"Don't try to act so brave" laughed Nimuru, "And that way we are not alike" he now stood in front of Jō, looking him directly in the eyes. "You are a coward Jō, But no I did not come to punish you, I came to offer you a chance to put your meager talents to use, After all, you like to hurt others almost as much as you like to fight people who are weaker than you"

Jō opened his mouth to speak but no words came out.

"Didn't you see!?" Cried Nimuru jumping up so that his paws were on the man's shoulders, and his head higher than his.

"Didn't you see what I did to those three losers!? They wanted to die but couldn't even muster the cognitive faculties to do so!!! Ahahahahah!" 

And Jō found himself gazing up into those eyes, into the cruel eyes of Nimuru, And he found himself being drawn into those eyes… he was interested in what this demon was selling.

the demon's laughter filled the air, and way off in the distance, on another one of Japan's many Islands, Dororo and the men of Daigo who followed came to the cave where Itachi lay, guarding Hibukuro's hidden treasure, from anyone but Dororo who would dare come near, and in the land of Daigo, despite the desolation, the two sons of its lord were now brothers again, they walked through Daigo's streets and towns helping when and wherever they could, and would sometimes visit the graves of Mutsu and Hyogo. "I Knew it was selfish of me" said Tahomaru on one of these days, after the time for formalities had long passed. "but I had thought of those two almost as if they were my own brother and sister"

"I never really knew what either of those words meant," replied Hyakkimaru "although... I think that I remember hearing the word... 'brother'... when I got back my ears... I think that a woman was crying... she was crying for her 'brother'"

"Did you ever think of Dororo as your brother?" Tahomaru asked. Hyakkimaru's face now looked pained. "I don't know" he finally said, "I don't think I know... what 'brother' really means" he confessed, almost chagrin, "tell me Tahomaru" he implored, "what is the difference between 'Brother' and 'Friend'?"

Tahomaru thought for a minute, his smaller size aside, Hyakkimaru's innocence really did make it seem like he was much younger than he actually was. "I guess..." he finally said, "that a brother is a friend, who has the same blood as you do"

"and Mutsu and Hyogo?" Hyakkimaru asked.

"what about them?"

"did you have the same... blood?"

"no Brother, Mutsu and Hyogo did, but I did not"

"and us?..."

Tahomaru couldn't help but laugh a little, "Yes Brother, we have the same blood"

"and... how come?... why do we have the same blood"

"well..." explained Tahomaru, "its because You and I come from the same parents"

"but what does that mean?" asked Hyakkimaru

"sorry?"

"what does it mean that we came from the same parents?"

"well... even though I was raised by mother and father, and you were raised by Dr. Jukai, we still both came from the same mother and father, do you understand?"

*visible confusion*

"Um... I know that Mama is our Mama, but I still don't get why?... How does it work?"

"Just what exactly are you asking brother?..."

"I know that Mama both of ours and... that father is our father but... what makes them our Mama and father?"

"Brother are you about to ask me...?"

"where did we come from Tahomaru?"

"Eheh..." Tahomaru could only respond to this with an awkward smile, "You know what Brother? I think this is a question for you to ask mother when we get home"

"Okay..."

"All you need to know now," said Tahomaru putting an arm around Hyakkimaru as they walked, "is that we brothers are bound together by blood, and that is a very important bond"

"very Important Bond..." Hyakkimaru repeated back.


	3. horrid laugh and grin...

Daigo Kagemitsu’s estate had not been limited to the now ruined Palace, he also owned a villa and stables on the outskirts of Ishikawa, and it was at this villa where his wife and two sons now stayed. From her seat on the porch, Lady Nui watched fondly as her two sons now rode away on their horses. Tahomaru had been teaching Hyakkimaru how to ride, and an elated Hyakkimaru who loved horses was learning very quickly. Nui had now been happily busy making up for lost time with both of her boys, and now the time when the two of them were spent together was the only time she really had to herself, she smiled thinking of how things had turned out. As her two sons disappeared over the horizon, a man approached her from the shadows.

“Please forgive me, My lady,” said Daigo Kakemitsu bowing “I was wrong all along… and now I've ruined everything that was ours”

“Please rise, my Lord,” she replied, “and come and sit by me”

Lord Daigo did as she asked, although with unease. Kagemitsu was an arrogant man, he rarely acknowledged his mistakes, even now, he still mourned for his unfulfilled ambitions more than anything else, but the seeds of remorse had been placed within him, and now it was up to his conscience to allow them to grow.

He and Lady Nui had not been brought together by love, nor was it love that held him together, but despite the cold and stubborn man he was; they had been together for years and she had not hated him, in her calm way, she had faith in him.

“Hyakkimaru came to see me a few days ago,” he told her

“I know”

“He did not tell me that you and Tahomaru were still alive...”

“I know my lord, I asked him personally not to do so”

“I see, well, I don’t really blame you for not wanting to see me again,” he said with a defeated tone.

“That was not the reason my Lord,” said lady Nui….

“I wanted that boy to kill me, I wanted him to end me right there in the Hall of the Demons!” Kagemitsu’s fist shook “nothing! There was not even a hint of anger or hatred for me from that boy” he grimaced as he recounted this.

“Of course not, Hyakkimaru does not hate you, and neither does Tahomaru, our boys understand you”

“I do not understand that!” he retorted.

“But it is true my lord” 

Kagemitsu sighed, he stood up and looked up at the sky, “maybe your right” he said, but it's not the way it used to be, Hyakkimaru… that boy! He looks down on the way of the Samurai!.. And he looks down on me… and Tahomaru...:” he turned to Lady Nui with defeated eyes, “even if he doesn’t hate me… I know that he doesn’t love me anymore”

But Lady Nui just smiled. “Being a parent is complicated” she said, “it is different from politics” She realized long ago, that Tahomaru had resigned himself to this after accepting his father’s decision to sacrifice Hyakkimaru to restore his domain, but back then, Kagemitsu did not notice or even seem to care, but now he had noticed, and while it seemed such a small thing, it made her happy. “My lord,” she said, “It is not too late for you to see your sons”

“No… it is too late for me...”

He sat back down next to her, “even though you say that they don’t hate me, I will forever be a stranger to those boys, but until one of them succeeds me…” he trailed off, and put his hand over his forehead and breathed.

“By the way Lady Nui” he said moving on to the next topic, “Isn’t it almost the time for the boys to go through their * _ Genpuku _ ?” 

“No my lord, Tahomaru already explained it to Hyakkimaru, but Hyakkimaru says he does not want to change his name”

“He wants to be called by  _ that  _ strange name for the rest of his life?” Lord Daigo asked incredulously.

“Dr. Jukai gave him that name since we did not name him...” she stopped, she did not mean to open up that old wound.

“Dr. Jukai is the one who raised him huh?”

“Yes my lord” she answered a bit gravely.

A cold wind blew around them as they sat in a moment of silence…

“I didn’t tell him this” Kagemitsu finally said… “I wanted to tell him as he left the Hall of Hell…”

“What was it?”

“I wanted to tell him… no. I won’t tell you either.”

Kagemitsu got up and turned to walk away.

“Where are you going!?” she called after him,

“I am going back to the temple where I am staying,” he said, “but do not worry, I will be back to see you”

…

“Lady Nui...” he began again, “Thank you for being by my side.... After all these years.” and with that, he continued on his way.

_ “I wanted to tell Hyakkimaru, that perhaps had I never made the deal with those demons, and kept him as my son, then perhaps he would have been the one to save Daigo… how I regret it now...” _

***

Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru had rode to a pond where they stopped to let their horses drink and rest, by the water, the two of them sat, the sun was now beginning to set, it cast an orange light over them, and over the rippling blue water, the air was tranquil and calming, so for Tahomaru, it was this kind of setting where his mind ran freely; though they still kept secrets from one another, the times of awkwardness had passed, Hyakkimaru had not spoken of Mio, but he had told Tahomaru of every other adventure that he shared with Dororo before this, which his younger brother was eager to hear, while Hyakkimaru was eager to learn from Tahomaru, not just the complexities of statehood, and the culture of the Japanese nobility which their family was from, but even basic things… 

Still, the loss of Mutsu and Hyogo weighed heavily on him, as Tahomaru bonded with his brother, part of him feared that the love he now felt for Hyakkimaru would make him forget them, though he shook the feeling as best he could. Hyakkimaru was innocent, he did not kill those two, and would he himself have done any differently in his position? Besides, Hyakkimaru needed guidance, he had been in the dark all of his life, he was only just mastering basic Japanese, and could not read or write beyond his own name, and the names of people he knew, he was like a toddler in that regard, intelligent, but undeveloped… but more than the feeling of responsibility to guide his brother; Tahomaru felt guilt and pity, and the feelings of resentment still lingered, was Hyakkimaru his long-lost older brother? Or now an overgrown baby whom he had been saddled with, after taking away from him Mutsu and Hyogo, his  _ real  _ family!... 

Tahomaru winced as this thought passed through his head, he did not want to succumb to his own mental shadow again, he knew he had a dark side, and he knew he had to keep it in check, and then he noticed his brother’s eyes, looking at him with concern. Tahomaru hung his head in shame,

“ _ Right, my brother can see souls”  _ He thought, “ _ He can see how corrupted mine is _ ” his lip quivered,  _ “Why do I have such shameful thoughts?”  _ but Hyakkimaru merely put his hand on Tahomaru’s back and asked him; 

“Brother, what's wrong?”

Tahomaru sat up straight in surprise, Hyakkimaru had always just called him by his given name,

“You just called me... ‘brother’...”

“What's wrong?” repeated Hyakkimaru

“What… what do you mean?” asked Tahomaru?

“The color of your aura,” said Hyakkimaru, “you looked sad… like something is wrong…”

And as Tahomaru looked into his brother’s eyes, he felt some of the weight from his conscience being lifted, Hyakkimaru’s eyes were looking at him with concern, they weren’t judging him at all… they were the same color as their mother’s eyes, in fact, it was actually a bit crazy how much Hyakkimaru looked like their mother. 

Tahomaru’s lips quivered into the shape of a smile, “It’s… it’s nothing brother” he said wiping a tear away from his eye.

“But brother, you...” Hyakkimaru stopped, Tahomaru was still smiling, but he was struggling, and failing to hold back more tears…

The sun was seting, and Tahomaru resigned himself, he hung his head, and cried freely, Hyakkimaru slowly put his arms around his brother’s shoulders, that piece that Tahomaru had felt missing his entire life… he had it now, their bond of blood had been reconnected...

Deeper in the woods, Nimuru stood against a tree, arms crossed, watching this scene. “Mfufufufu, Those two are just so adorable,” he thought maliciously, he turned to Chijoku no Jō, who was reclining against a log; “Wake up Jō” He said to him. It is time.

Jō was a beast who did not need much of a reason, once swayed by an entity like Nimuru, he would follow it completely for the short term, He lumbered after Nimuru with his own sadistic smirk.

Nimuru reached into his Yukata, and pulled out a small sack, he walked ahead, dangling it in front of him, he knew it would get Hyakkimaru’s attention.

  
  


On the bank of the pond, the tranquil moment between the brothers was interrupted, Hyakkimaru sat up and jerked his face into the direction of the forest, he had felt it, and now he was looking straight at it Tahomaru did not sense what he had sensed, but he sensed that his brother was disturbed.

“Brother! What’s the matt… Brother” Tahomaru noticed the look on Hyakkimaru's face go from shocked and confused, to mad to angry… now it was starting to become crazed… Hyakkimaru jumped to his feet and ran into the forest!

“Wait! Brother!...” and Tahomaru was on his feet and after him, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw where Hyakkimaru’s senses had lead them; standing in a clearing was two men, one very large, and the other average, though it was almost dark, Tahomaru could see the smirk on the larger mans face, and the grin on the face of the other, his white teeth reflecting hideously in the orange glow of the twilight, his left arm was outstretched, and in his left hand, he held a small sack. 

This was all that Tahomaru saw, but what Hyakkimaru saw was the threatening aura of a large man, Hyakkimaru could tell that this man had done many horrible things, and besides him, the deep red aura of a demon, only in the shape of a man, but what he saw in the sack made his blood boil… 

“THOSE ARE MY EYES!!!!”

Tahomaru gasped.

“No” corrected Nimuru, “they are my eyes now, you gave them to me remember?”

“What!?”

“You traded them to me… for your brother,” he said the word ‘brother’ mockingly. “But you still have  _ those _ eyes, they can’t see like normal eyes but they are still your real eyes; These on the other hand...” he said tightening his grip around the sack “these are mine, and I can do what I want with them” and with that… He crushed the eyes in his hand!

Hyakkimaru screamed! He fell to his knees as Jō giggled stupidly in the background, and Tahomaru took in the horror that he was seeing.

“What a shame” the demon chastised, “you'll never see all the colors of this world, you'll never see what a pretty sky we have over our heads right now… you’ll never see the pretty face of little Dororo or the sweet face of your Mama… ahahahahahaha!”

The demon’s laughter went on, as Hyakkimaru absorbed the blow, his eyes were gone forever now… and he never would see the sky, he would never know their faces…

Nimuru’s laughter was drowned out by the sound of Hyakkimaru’s livid battle cry! As he drew his dual swords and charged at the demon, Hyakkimaru was now running towards Nimuru, thinking of nothing else but his anger, his swords were ready, he had the demon in his sight, Numuru took out no weapons or made any defensive or evasive stance whatsoever, he just stood there as Hyakkimaru charged in screaming with indignation, closing in on him, “ORRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHH!” he drew back his swords over his left and swung them both at Nimuru’s neck.

_ -CLASH! _

Chijoku no Jō towered next to Nimuru now, holding his large  _ ōdachi  _ In one hand, he had blocked Hyakkimaru’s attack.

All of this had happened before a stunned Tahomaru had had time to draw his own sword.

“Fufufufufuf…” Nimuru’s chuckle sounded worse than ever, and his grin still sent chills down Tahomaru’s spine, he held his open palms out and tilted his head to the sky… “and so the fun begins”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Genpuku is a Japanese naming Ceremony. in feudal Japan, a Japanese boy of Noble Birth would change his name, usually while in his mid-late teens, replacing the name he was born with with a new "adult" name. in this time Period, boys from Samurai clans would usually undergo their Genpuku at the time their father or male elders decided they were old enough to participate in battle.


	4. The Kidnapping

Jō stood perfectly still, his one hand on the handle of his sword, exerting very little effort against Hyakkimaru, Hyakkimaru had fought opponents who were larger and physically stronger than this, he had always relied on his speed, agility, and skills with his blades, so normally in this situation he would have jumped up and attacked this enemy from where he didn't expect it, but this time was different he could sense that if he loosened his hold even a little; this x-samurai would be on top of it.

Not content with standing idly by; Tahomaru drew his own sword and rushed in to help his brother, but before he and Jō made contact, the gangster slashed upward with such force that Hyakkimaru was thrown backward! He flew past Tahomaru!

"Brother!" He called out but didn't have time to be distracted, Jō had charged at him so quickly that he didn't even see him move, Tahomaru lept out of the way by a hair breath as Jō's ōdachi came down at him, and sliced the ground where he had been standing, Tahomaru fell to the ground, rolling out of the way, the two brothers now had their eyes on the gangster, watching him with high alarm.

He turned to Hyakkimaru, noticing that his twin katanas were still intact; "those are good blades" he commented, "I was trying to break them.

The brothers looked at each other, and understood; if they were going to take this monster they had to fight him as a team. They both lept to their feet and charged at the Chijoku together! Hyakkimaru from the left! Tahomaru from the right!

Jō swung his giant sword at both of them in one swift motion!

Tahomaru blocked with his katana but was thrown off his feet by the force!

Hyakkimaru dropped down evading the slash, and skidded towards his target! He aimed for Jō's legs but the large man was more nimble than he looked, he flipped over him, evading Hyakkimaru's attack, and slashed in him again from midair!

Hyakkimaru blocked the attack, but the force of the blow nearly knocked him off his feet again, and made his teeth clench! Now Jō charged at him, this time putting both hands on the handle, he let out a grunt as he swung his blade at Hyakkimaru with his full force, but Hyakkimaru ducked and charged in at him! 

He knew he needed to close the distance, if he stayed close enough to Jō, then he could not use his full strength in those massive swings of his, Hyakkimaru slashed at Jō, managing to nick his side, just above the right hip! Jō swung angrily at him, but the boy blocked it before Jō could fully develop his swing, even still the force was enough to knock Hyakkimaru backward, but this time he landed on his feet, and came in for another charge, just as Tahomaru charged the man from behind him!

Jō only managed to block the boys blow in the nick of time, Tahomaru had also figured out his weakness.

The two brothers attacked together, pushing Jō back! 

Nimuru watched all this with mirth.

"Those boys aren't bad, the girly-looking one has had experience fighting demons most of his life, and the spoiled Prince's combat skills seem to be innate, it's only fitting since he was born when his father's luck was at its peak at the girly boy’s expense...nufufufufu" his sickening Grin widened, "buuut… it's still far too early for them to be able to take on Chijoku no Jō, the heavens have granted that man no gifts except for the gift of combat!"

Jō had seen an opening! While forcing Hyakkimaru to focus on his attack, he spun around and surprised Tahomaru with a kick to the chest! He felt his breath knocked out of him, and he felt his vision go dark as he was going backward! 

"Tahomaru!!!!" But his distraction for his brother had cost him dearly, Jō had reopened the gap! He swung upwards at the boy! 

Without time to evade, Hyakkimaru blocked! He felt the vibrations of the impact in his bones as one of his swords was knocked out of his hands!

Now Jō swung downwards! Hyakkimaru blocked with his remaining sword but was knocked to the ground! He skidded on his back as the menace charged at him again!

Hyakkimaru held his senses together and rolled out of the way of another one of Jō's blows, now was his chance! His opponent's sword was stuck in the ground, and he was within striking distance! He aimed for Jō's legs, only to be stopped by a painful kick to the ribs!

Hyakkimaru felt the breath knocked out of him as he was flung onto his back!

His head was spinning, he was dizzy with pain, he tried to get up, but the pain in his chest from what could have only been broken ribs kept him where he was…

Tahomaru who was now regaining consciousness saw his brother on the ground, and he saw the two villains.

"That's the one we take back alive, right Nimuru?" said the large one pointing to Hyakkimaru.

_ "So the grinning one is called 'Nimuru'"  _ observed Tahomaru.

"Of course Jō, the other one you may do with as you please"

_ "And the giant is Jō… No! He must be the notorious 'Chijoku no Jō'" _

"Right then,” he said as he lumbered over to Tahomaru.

Tahomaru got to his feet and held his katana in front of him… Jō just smirked.

Now back to using one hand, he slashed down at the boy! Tohomaru was already dizzy, and he felt it breaking him down further with each powerful blow he had to block! He was thrown back again, and his back collided against the tree, Chijoku no Jō slashed at him again but Tajomaru dodged it!

But Tahomaru's arms were becoming too tired to adequately defend himself, 

Jō slashed his shoulder! His cheek! 

Tahomaru mustered the last of his fighting strength! He gripped his sword tightly and let out a Battle cry as he charged at the gangster, it was do or die at this point! 

Jō charged and slashed with his ōdachi… and Tahomaru's sword fell to pieces… he felt a sting in his torso… he looked down on it and saw that it was cut across, and bleeding badly.

Tahomaru now began to silently panic, his legs turned to jelly, he fell to his knees… this was the greatest terror he had ever felt in his life, never before had he felt so much killing intent directed at him… he heard malicious laughter behind him, and turned over as he fell onto his back, his hands clutching the grass of the forest floor, he looked up and saw Jō standing over him, with his sword raised high, with the moon now above him, he could only see the silhouette of the man who was about to execute him, his mouth and eyes wide open in paralyzing fear, he was going to die…  _ die….  _

Jō brought down the giant sword upon him, Tahomaru shut his eyes before the inevitable, but instead of feeling the blade slice through him, he heard the clash of metal hitting metal…

He opened his eyes to see Hyakkimaru, standing between him and Jō, blocking Jō's attack with all of his might.

"Brother… run..." He told him.

Tahomaru hesitated…

"Brother run!!" He told him again. 

This time Tahomaru did as he was told, he got up and ran back towards the road.

Jō was exerting very little strength here, he merely applied a little bit of extra weight to extract a cry of pain from the already wounded Hyakkimaru, Tahomaru had barely run a few meters before he heard this, and turned around to see Hyakkimaru lying on his back.

"TAHOMARU! RUN!!!" He desperately shouted one last time, as Jō placed a food over his broken ribs, and began to step on them. 

Tahomaru shamefaced; turned and ran back to the pond where they had left the horses, remembering that Nimuru said Hyakkimaru was to be taken alive.

_ "Hang in there brother… I'll go and get help! We'll come back to rescue you! I promise!" _

And so Tahomaru ran back to the horses, he mounted one and raced back home, with a heavy heart, tears of shame in his eyes, and his brother's cries of pain as Jō stepped on his broken ribs… echoing loudly in his ears.


	5. Kagemitsu meets with the Leopard Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lord Daigo Kagemitsu meets Nimuru... It starts to get pretty dark.

Night had fallen on the forest, the frogs, the crickets and the fireflies, all began their nightly routine, just like any other night, indifferent to the boy lying on the forest floor, immobilized by pain.

"Your brother will not come back for you you know?" Jō chastised, "and if he does," he said now leaning closer to Hyakkimaru, and whispering in his ear, "I'll kill him slowly, and make you watch"

Hyakkimaru now no longer even had the energy to respond.

Jō pulled out a large sack which he opened up and began to reach for the boy's ponytail. "Okay now, here we go…"

Perhaps his brain had been rattled around from all those blows, perhaps he really was seeing a ghost, but from his special eyes, he thought he could see the shape and color, of a familiar soul, now looking into him as though she could understand what he was about to suffer through better than anyone else…

"Mi… o" he managed to whisper…. That face of hers and its true color, which he would never be able to see; seemed to be telling him that although he was going to be put through a hell that he couldn't have imagined, he would not be going through it alone, and that was the last thing he saw, before Chijoku no Jō's large hand yanked him up by his hair, and stuffed him into the sack where he would see nothing but darkness…

* * *

When Dororo and the rest of the party had returned with Hibukoro's treasure; they had not been expecting a parade, but at least to Dororo expected something closer to a hero's welcome than the solemn scene which she saw upon her arrival. The news of Hyakkimaru's kidnapping was among the very last things she had been hoping to hear.

Lady Nui had broken the news as softly as she could but still could not stop the feeling of dread that filled Dororo as the two of them sat on the porch, recounting and hearing of that terrible news.

And the name "Chijoku no Jō" which even a child like Dororo knew about, made the situation many times more stressful. 

"But… that can't be!..." Dororo protested "Lady Nui! If Aniki has really been taken by that monster Jō then we have to do something now!!"

"I'm afraid we are already doing all that we can" she replied sadly, as she recounted the details of what happened the night before, but her voice began to break;

"As soon as Tahomaru returned in such a rush, our servants knew something was wrong, they ran to attend to him, but he could only get out the words to describe the incident that occurred before he fainted due to his wounds… we sent whatever Calvary we had in every direction but we found no trace of them! They have disappeared! We organized a search party as quickly as possible, but Daigo's Army is currently too weakened to do anything more!" 

Lady Nui put her face in her hands and began to cry, "and Tahomaru, my poor Tahomaru! He's suffering so much! He blames himself for what happened!"

"Does Dr. Jukai know about this?" Dororo asked after a few minutes, once Lady Nui had collected herself.

"I'm afraid not," she said "we haven't been able to reach Dr. Jukai, not yet"

_ "This is terrible,"  _ thought Dororo, " _ not only has Aniki lost his eyes for good and been kidnapped by these monsters, but it's Chijoku no Jō… that scumbag is notorious for his cruelty" _

Next, Dororo went to see her bro's brother, with Lady Nui right behind her, although the latter had already informed her; of the state Tahomaru was in.

He was bedridden from his wounds and racked with guilt, so he did nothing but lie in bed and stare at the ceiling, and this is how Dororo found him upon entering his room.

"Tahomaru?" She whispered to him.

No response…

"I just wanted to let you know," she said as she entered the room "that we are going to get back Aniki! Definitely!..."

He still lay there.

"... We're definitely going to save him! And you should know he doesn't blame you for what happened! Not one bit! Aniki is not that type of person!"

Tahomaru began to mumble something…

"What is it bro?!.."

"They were demons…" he said "the two of them, they were demons and human flesh…. And I, Tahomaru… couldn't do anything against them, I was saved by my brother so many times… and now I can't save him…"

Lady Nui walked over to the bed and sat down beside her son, to caressed his head and told him that everything was going to be all right.

Dororo could only watch… despite her usual tomboyish confidence; this time she wasn't sure if it really would be.

* * *

Daigo Kagemitsu walked into a field at the end of a forest, his past dealings with the demonic world had made them almost as detectable to him as they were to Hyakkimaru.

Nimuru came from the other side of the field, meeting him in the middle.

"My my Lord Daigo" Nimuru commented, "you're looking rather down… but at least that x on your forehead has stopped bleeding, does this mean the twelve demons are no longer punishing you?"

"This mark on my head" replied Kagemitsu pointing to it, "began to bleed once I realized that I no longer had any intention; of feeding Hyakkimaru to the twelve a second time"

"Nufufufufu" Nimuru chuckled crossing his arms, "well you'll be happy to hear that I am not like the twelve, I do not Mark humans when I make my deals with them, I always trust them enough to know that they will do what, when they know that they are going to get what they want"

"That is reassuring," said Kagemitsu, "because I have indeed come to you with a request"

"Oh ho then… let's hear it"

Kagemitsu now fell to his knees and bowed to the demon; "I ask… that you release Lady Nui's son… Tahomaru's brother… my Son, Hyakkimaru!"

Nimuru did not react.

"In return!" Continued Kagemitsu "I offer you my own body! Nay! You can have my life! my very soul! Just please, let Hyakkimaru come home so that Nui no Kato… and Tahomaru can be at peace!"

Nimuru began to chuckle, and that chuckle turned into a cackle! How derisively he laughed at the once proud lord of Daigo!

"Lord Daigo! I overestimated you!" He said harshly, "what could I possibly want with anything that a washed-up old man like you has to offer me!"

"There must be something I can do" he implored.

"No," said Nimuru plainly, "and you would not want me to free the boy either"

"What do you mean?" Kagemitsu asked.

"You know what I am talking about Lord Daigo, you never loved that boy and you know it, the only regret you had after reneging on your will to feed him to the twelve demons again; was one of disappointment that it hadn't worked the first time, and you felt that maybe had you raised this child as your own; he could have restored your name by the strength of his own character, do not act as though you suddenly care for that girly-boy's well being!"

Kagemitsu felt a pang at how deeply Nimuru had read him. "If not for me" he pleaded "then for the sake of my wife and other son!"

"Now now there," said Nimuru, "you sound like you've given up"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I know you Lord Daigo, more than anything you still want to reach the glory that your ambitions lead you to" he now approached Kagemitsu.

"You are a Samurai Lord after all, you seek nothing short of total rule, and I was going to help you with that without you even asking me"

"What do you mean!" Demanded Kagemitsu.

Nimuru grinned devilishly as he approached him. “Let me show you...” he said, raising his hand to Kagemitsu’s face, covering his eyes, and soon, Daigo Kagemitsu was seeing a vision of everything that Nimuru wanted him to see….

***

_ Hyakkimaru would be left to the mercy of Chijoku no Jō. Hyakkimaru already innocent, and Jō would take advantage of that, elevating his pleasure as he stripped his chew-toy of his innocence in the cruelest ways he knew how, he would beat, and torture the boy, make him cry and beg for mercy… he would sodomize him, and violate him as he had violated so many women in the past, earning him his disgraceful reputation, and Nimuru would observe all of this. _

_ After a few days or weeks of this, Nimuru would take a letter he had written to Dr. Jukai. Nimuru would play the messenger, and hand to Jukai a letter describing in graphic detail, and mocking language, everything that was being done to his precious adoptive son, and it would be signed with Chijoku no Jō’s name, and the location of his hideout would be hinted to. _

_ After this, Nimuru would turn on Jō. he would first, kill all of his men who were posted outside of the hideout, and then wait for Jukai to find the off-guard Jō, standing over the beaten, bruised and broken body of Hyakkimaru. _

_ Jukai who had feared his son becoming a demon on his path to regain his human body; would now see what a fool he had been, as the lines between human and demon began to blur. _

_ It would be at this point that Nimuru would abandon the worthless Jō, allowing Jukai to beat him, but then in his rage, Jukai would drag Jō out of his hideout, and in a fit of justified fury; break his bones, flay his skin, cut off body parts, and nail him to a cross. Jukai who had been on his path of atonement for decades now; would be dragged back to the barbarism which he had tried so desperately to escape. _

_ Hyakkimaru would be returned; a broken shell of his former self, suicide would of course be the suggested route, and his body; would be returned to the Demons. _

_ Daigo Kagemitsu would retake his position, and his lands would prosper once again; Tahomaru having now been shown the cruelty of this world, would become just as cold and calculating as his father, his mind would develop to one programmed for victory, and domination; and Kakemitsu would have an heir who was just like he was, to inherit his prosperous lands… _

_ *** _

When the Vision ended, lord Daigo Kakemitsu was shaking.

“Do you see now my lord?” asked Nimuru.  “My plans are going to benefit you, and I don’t ask for a thing in return”

“Your a monster” rasped Kagemitsu

“I suppose so” agreed Nimuru. “I like to break things, if I see a termite-ridden hole in the wall, I want to make the hole bigger, if I see a tree that is rotting, I want to kick it down, and If I see a broken man or a crying child, I want to see how much more I can break him down, I want to hear and see that child crying more, the suffering of Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru, the cruel fate that awaits Jukai…. I feed on things like that, at least your motives are noble in comparison to mine my lord, but motives aside...” he said darkly kneeling down to Kagemitsu’s level.

“You still did some pretty horrible things, even worse than what I plan on doing, you still sold your own son’s organs to the twelve demons in the hall of hell... ” He stood back up and opened his arms “so why not do it again!? Sell your son down the river, to me this time, I won’t even come back to claim anything from you, I’ll just leave this country with your land’s more prosperous than ever before, think about it lord Daigo… or don’t, I'm doing you a favor anyways”

And he walked away, leaving Kagemitsu behind with his words… Nimuru had just offered him everything that he wanted, and at no cost to him, only to the son he had already forsaken...


	6. Is blood thicker than Ambition?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A LOT happens in this Chapter

It rained while Hyakkimaru was trapped in the sack, and though the cloth obscured has already limited vision, and prevented him from escaping, it did not keep out the cold and miserable rain droplets, not that it could make his situation any worse, he was already having the worst day of his life.

He heard Chijoku no Jō, and at least four of his henchmen talking, joking laughing, and of course complaining about the rain as their cart traveled, they acted as though Jō's beating and kidnapping him had been just another day; the most mundane thing in the world. 

Nimuru was silent, but Hyakkimaru could still see the light of his nasty red Aura through the holes in the fabric of the cloth that now-imprisoned him.

He closed his eyes and prayed silently; " _please, Tahomaru… make it back safely, and find someone, Papa, Priest Biwamaru, Dororo, anyone… please someone save me from these demons…"_

The rain began to die down, and he felt the top of the sack lifted up, he felt himself being hoisted from the cart, and dragged into a building; at least the air inside was warmer, and dryer.

Suddenly he felt himself being dumped from the sack, and onto the wooden floor; the sudden movement reminding him of just how badly his chest was hurting, he gave an involuntary Yelp and began gasping for air; in small mercy of respite; his captors ignored him in these moments while he struggled to catch his breath, as they argued amongst themselves over who would stand watch outside their hut. 

"Stop your arguing already!" Jō finally ordered. "Shinji will take the first watch, and then Michi!" 

Jō's gang was informal, but his men never questioned him once he gave an order. 

Shinji grumbled and went outside into the cold.

Hyakkimaru now heard the footsteps of two of the henchmen coming over to him, they grabbed him by his wrist and hoisted him into the air, so that his feet no longer reach the ground.

"Well well well," said Jō, putting his grimy finger under Hyakkimaru's chin, and lifting his head; 

"You look just like a fine bitch you know that? But at the same time…" he said now leaning closer, and Looking Hyakkimaru in the eyes, "you have that stupid proudness in your eyes! You must think you're so great, don't you!? Why I'll bet you've never been 'broken in before'..." 

Jō began to pace around his captive; Hyakkimaru shivered an apprehension and tried his best not to cry… every Aura around him was nasty, and now his own disgust and terror threatened to betray him.

"Such a pretty little piece of meat aren't you?" Asked Jō "but I can see that you're still looking down on me, I'm getting those vibes from you, you must think that just because you got your body back and are now living in a palace that you're better than guys like me…" 

He now leaned down again, whispered into Hyakkimaru's ear, causing him the shutter and close his eyes tightly as he could. "Your kind is perfect, pretty, proud little things like you are my favorite people to break."

He ripped off Hyakkimaru's Yukata, and now stood behind him with a long, thin bamboo stick.

He swung back, and poor Hyakkimaru began to feel it's painful sting! He screamed in pain! Tears flowing down his cheeks, Jō was relentless! Striking him across his bare back, thighs, calves, buttocks, until his thrall's entire backside was covered in red marks, some of which bled, and dripped down onto the floor, while Hyakkimaru trembled and sobbed pathetically.

Jō let the bamboo stick fall to the floor, and took in this site.

Just then, Shinji poked his head back in; "Hey Michi" he called, "why don't you come out here and switch with me?"

"Hell no Shinji! It's wet and cold out there!"

"You jackass! You're supposed to guard after me!"

"Who are you calling a Jackass!? You've only been outside for five minutes! Suck it up crybaby Shinji!"

"What did you say!!!?"

"ENOUGH!" A booming voice interrupted from the back, and all four of the men looked over to Jō, standing there with a crazed, lustful look in his eyes…

"All of you… Go outside for a while"

The four men understood, and then they all smiled. "No problem boss"

They left the hut, passing a smiling Nimuru as they exited the door.

"Hey boss, save some for the rest of will ya?" One of them called over his shoulder.

"Don't be a fool Seki" Tsutomi scolded playfully. "Boss Jō always shares with his men"

"Hahaha! True that" said Shinji, "while we wait, let's open up some Saki shall we?"

The men all cheered in agreement, as the door was closed behind the three individuals in the room were now Hyakkimaru, who was curled into a ball with his hands over his head, Jō who stood over him, and Nimuru who watched it all from the corner.

"Please… please don't hurt me..." Hyakkimaru begged shakily "Please… don't… hurt… me…"

These words fell on deaf ears; Jō was quite animalistic when it came to his own desires, in that sense, he was just as much a demon as any of the other demons Hyakkimaru had fought in the past.

He knelt down beside the boy, and then grabbing his shoulders; roughly rolled him onto his back, and he pinned him there; feelings of disgust crept into Hyakkimaru's throat as Jō zeroed in on his face, his foul breath amplified by his heavy breathing and panting, he began to lick and slobber all over the boy's face and neck, Hyakkimaru could do nothing but bite his own lips and shut his eyes as tightly as he could; Jō then went from licking to biting, while Hyyakimaru did his best not to gag out of sheet disgust. Jō's fingertips crept along Hyakkimaru's torso, down to his midsection, before he grabbed the waistband of his loincloth, and ripped it off!

Hyakkimaru screamed! He kicked desperately and try to cover himself with his free hand!

Jō just laughed and grabbed Hyakkimaru's ankles, he held them together in his left hand and pinned them over Hyakkimaru's chest, and with his right hand, he began to pull down his own loincloth.

“N-NO!!” Hyakkimaru shouted, sensing what was about to happen, even though he could not explain or understand such things, the bile he felt, and his instincts told him that Jō was about to do something very **_very wrong_ **to him! He desperately tried to kick and flail his legs and managed to slip them out of Jō’s fingers, he tried to stand up and run, but Jō grabbed his ankle again, and he fell flat on his face, his arms in front of him.

Hyakkimaru screamed with pain, as Jō stepped on his leg, injuring it. 

“Now now little one,” he said mockingly as he pressed his face into the ground; “We can’t have you running away from me, you won’t want to be missing out on this”...

***

Outside, the four Henchmen who had accompanied Jō on this misadventure we're busy celebrating, and staving off the cold, the way that they had always done; by drinking.

"Ya'know, I still don't quite get that Nimuru guy," Seki thought aloud, “why does he want _us_ to mess up that kid?

“Who cares what the reason is?” answered Michi, “so long as we benefit.”

“But how are we benefiting?” aked Tsutomi, “all the Boss did was suddenly say that we were going to go after these kids and take Nimuru with us, its not like Nimuru is paying us to do this”

“So what?” said Shinji, “we do things like this all the time, it's just another day”

“You guys shut up for a minute” Michi hushed them. “Someone is coming”

The four gangsters were still sober enough to take this seriously, there were no paths to their Hut, it should have been unfindable, so naturally, they went to check this man out.

A man with a heavy dark cloak obscuring his figure and a _jingasa_ hat obscuring his face was walking through the woods, towards their hut.

“Where do you think your going old man?” Shinji asked him abrasively as the four of them crowded him

“This is no place for civilians” Michi began as he blocked his path “If you know what's good for you, you'll just find a different ro-” before he could finish his sentence, the man drew his sword swiftly, giving Michi a deep cut into his chest, the men were all stunned, and while he still had the element of surprise; the stranger rushed Seki and cut him down before he had time to draw his sword!

Now Shinji attacked him from behind! 

He blocked Shinji’s sword, but a slash from Tsutomi cut his side! 

He jumped back, and now Shinji and Tsutomi were both pressing him! But the Man did not let up, when Shinji tried to get behind him again, and at that moment where he left Tsutomi unguarded, the man took his chance, and lunged in!

Tsutomi skillfully parried the thrust of the man’s sword, but his second attack cut him across his solar Plexus!

But as Tsutomi fell, he made one last attack on the man, stabbing him through the edge of the abdomen, the man cried out in pain, but was not yet done, Tsutomi’s blade had wounded him but missed his vitals. Now Shinji came at him again, screaming as he charged! Shinji’s attacks were angry and aggressive, he had just seen this man cut down three of his friends.

This man was obviously skilled with a sword and managed to graze Shinji’s right elbow and collar, and lightly puncture his left arm, but Shinji wasn’t done, he cut the man’s side… deeply.

The man fell to his knees, still holding his sword, but no longer raising it.

Shinji laughed and walked over to his defeated foe. “Say goodbye you old fucker!” and he raised his sword to finish him off, but Shinji’s arrogance had now cost him the battle; before Shinji could bring down his blade, the stranger’s blade went into a very painful part of his body, and traveled up through the hip, the stomach and into the spine. 

Shinji’s sword fell out of his hand, his throat filled with blood, how eyes nearly popped out of his skull with pain and terror, as the man yanked the sword out of him, and Shinji fell to the ground, as the man rose to his feet.

He ignored his wounds and made his way to the hut, and he barged in, to a disturbing site…. Chijoku no Jō had his organ out and was clearly of the intention… to rape his son.

“Lord Daigo,” said Nimuru calmly, “I am quite disappointed to see you here”

“I already told you...” Kagemitsu said panting “I can track you demons anywhere, **and you!** ” he said pointing his blade at Jō “Step away from the boy!” His voice was rough and full of indignation, and his face showed it to “I've already despatched your Henchmen! And now I’ll finish you right here! Chijoku no Jō!”

“Shinji, Seki, Michi and Tsutomi were no ordinary thugs,” Nimuru thought to himself “all for of them were good fighters, to think that this old man still had it in him”

While Nimuru might have seemed mildly annoyed that things weren’t going as he had planned, Jō looked absolutely livid. He was glaring daggers at Kagemitsu, he let go of Hyakkimaru, stood up straight, and pulled his loincloth back up. Kagemitsu held his Katana out in front of him, as Jō lumbered angrily towards him, Kagemitsu charged at him, but Jō caught the wrist of his sword hand, Kagemitsu cried out in pain, as Jō snapped it!

Kagemitsu’s Katana fell to the ground, and Jō snapped the blade under his foot! “What's wrong Daigo!?” he said as he backhanded Kagemitsu in the face, the force of the slap was worse than a punch, Kagemitsu stumbled back, the inside of his cheek cutting against his teeth, 

“C’mon Daigo! Is this the best you can do!?” -another slap!- “You can do more than this can’t you old man!?” he slapped Kagemitsu around some more, pushing his back to the door of the hut, “You're telling me that my friends were all killed by someone as weak as you!” Jō yelled angrily, as he punched Kagemitsu in his already wounded abdomen! 

Kagemitsu now lost his footing, and fell to the floor, he tried to get up, but Jō’s massive foot stepping on his head kept him down.

“You're going to die for what you did,” he said coldly, “I'm going to make you suffer, you worthless old-” he stopped mid-sentence, as his eyes widened in shock, he turned his head to see what was behind him; Hyakkimaru still lying on the floor, had managed to reach up and stab him from behind with his own ōdachi!

Jō screamed, and fell to his knees, his hands shaking, he clutched at his bleeding liver, he gasped for air, before giving a final groan, and falling to his side.

Supporting himself against the wall; Kagemitsu rose to his feet, he walked over to where his son lay, and helped him up, and father and son stood in that room, both now supporting each other in their wounded states, neither one of them had ever imagined that they would be saved by the other. 

“Its alright Hyakkimaru,” Kagemitsu said to the trembling boy, he took off his cloak and covered Hyakkimaru’s small body with it, as the child resigned himself to lean on the man who had been the cause of most of the mystery in his life before, and who was now his savior, but there was little time for reflection here.

They both saw it at the same time, Nimuru was standing on the other side of the room, and for the first time either of them had seen, he wasn’t smiling.

He began to walk slowly across the room, at the sight of this; Hyakkimaru involuntarily went limp and fell into his father’s arms. Kagemitsu picked him up and fled out the door with him; he climbed onto one of Jō’s horses, and still holding onto his son, rode off at full gallop.

However, Nimuru did not pursue them, he had not been walking towards them in the first place; he stopped at where Chijoku no Jō lay on the ground, choking on his own blood.

Jō looked up at the demon now standing over him, he raised his hand to him and begged him to save him. _“Please… Great Nimuru… Please don’t let me die”_

“You're not going to die,” Nimuru said coldly, “not for a long time. I must give you what you deserve, and then I will allow you to die”

The realization of absolute terror sank into Jō like icicles, as he watched the Demon take on his Leopard form... before he dragged him down to his realm.

***

The sky was beginning to change color now, just like it had when Hyakkimaru had been kidnapped the day earlier, the horse rode on until it could ride no more, and Kagemitsu Daigo, slumped over, and dismounted; he collapsed just as soon as his feet touched the ground.

Hyakkimaru himself now dismounted, and rushed over to his father’s side, Kagemitsu was bleeding badly, he had been stabbed, and cut in several places, but the worst wound was on the side of his stomach, the wound he had suffered from Jō’s henchmen... There was no way a wound like this would heal in time. 

“You're dying… But why? Why?! Why did you do this to save me?!”

“Hyakkimaru… before you were born, I saw things… things that made me lose faith in--” He was interrupted by a fit of coughing, as his throat began to fill with blood.

“There is no time for excuses!” He declared! “Hyakkimaru, in the hall of hell, you told me not to become a Demon…” he took out the statuette of the Goddess of Mercy… “It was too late for me… but...” and he grabbed Hyakkimaru’s arm and looked him square in the eyes “Hyakkimaru! Watch over Tahomaru!... see to it… that he doesn’t become like me….”

his voice began to trail off… he could no longer hear it… he had lost his strength to speak, he could only see the image of his son crying, saying something to him…

“It wasn’t too late for you father! You're not a Demon!” he just barely managed to choke out between sobs.

Although Kagemitsu could not hear him; and as the image began to fade, and darkness began to cover his vision, he felt his life slipping away… and Daigo Kagemitsu’s final thoughts passed through his head.

_“I remember now… I never apologized to Hyakkimaru… for what I did…. I am going to be dragged down to hell for sure...”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, I did NOT intend for this to be snuff or porn anything like that (Heaven forbid), I just like to write horrible characters. (maybe I should see a shrink)


	7. Funeral and Payback.

"tahomaru…. Tahomaru! Wake up!" Tahomaru awoke to Dororo’s shouts and shaking him, before Tahomaru could even respond, Dororo shouted: “Its Aniki!...” and that was all Tahomaru needed to hear. 

Tahomaru jumped to his feet before Dororo could finish, but the sharp pain in his stomach caused him to fall back down onto the bed.

“You have to be careful” Dororo reminded him with concern, “or your wounds will reopen” she then leaned closer to him and began to explain the situation; “they found Aniki last night, with lord Daigo”

“What!?” Tahomaru exclaimed with alarm, “Father was with him? What was he doing to him!?”

“I think” continued Dororo, seemingly not believing the words herself, “that Daigo was rescuing Aniki...”

“Rescuing him? Are you sure?”

“That's what Aniki said… although he didn’t say much?”

“Hyakkimaru said…? then where is my father!?”

Dororo began these next words the way she would have ripped off a bandage: “He's dead Tahomaru… He...” Dororo began to trail off now, her voice became watery; “He died rescuing Aniki!” 

Tahomaru’s eyes widened, and he sat up straight in bed as he let this sink in… “Father… you...” He did not really know what to feel at this point, his lips formed into a smile, and tears began to roll down his cheeks. He was going to need some time to process all of this, but the current matter at hand; was the well-being of his brother.

He made a second attempt to get out of bed, this time, he did it slower, and more carefully.

Dororo now jumped to her feet, “Hey! Take it easy Tahomaru!”

Tahomaru got to his feet and wobbled a bit at first, but Dororo grabbed his elbow and provided support. 

The two of them made their way down the hall, to the room where Hyakkimaru was recuperating, they found him there; his eyes still red, and nose still runny from crying, he was sitting upright on his bed as Jukai examined his fractured ribs, Hyakkimaru would let out a wince or a whimper whenever the Doctor touched a place where there was a break.

Tahomaru and Dororo both rushed in to see him, but to Tahomaru’s shock, upon seeing his face, Hyakkimaru grabbed onto Jukai’s cloak and buried his face into it.

Jukai looked at Tahomaru apologetically; “he is still in shock, please let him rest”.

When they had returned to Tahomaru's room, they both sat down uneasily on his bed, "I don't think I've ever seen Aniki so weak, eh?.. Tahomaru…"

Dororo now noticed that Tahomaru was shaking like a leaf, his fist trembled, and his lips quivered, and his eyes were filled with anger, so much so, that Dororo jumped back at seeing them.

"Did you see him? Dororo" Tahomaru asked; his voice was calm, but strained with rage, "Did you see him!?" He asked again.

"Look Tahomaru, I don't want you to worry, Aniki is still strong, he will get through this"

"They did that… to my brother, and I…"

"Don't blame yourself for this!" Dororo cried now sensing where he was going with this.

"I was right there when they took him!" Tahomaru exploded, "I was there and I couldn't do a thing! Those bastards tortured my brother and I just ran away!" Tears of anger began to fall from his eyes.

"In the end" he continued, his voice breaking, "my father of all people had to do what I couldn't do, just like… just like he always had!"

"Stop it!" Dororo protested "Aniki wanted you to run! You said it yourself! Have you stayed you would have been killed or captured yourself! And then no one would have told us what happened in time! We might have been too late to save Aniki!"

But Tahomaru wasn't listening, he buried his face in his hands; "I'm so pathetic, I couldn't protect  _ them  _ and I couldn't protect my brother either, they all had to protect me."

"You mean Mutsu and Hyogo?"

Dororo regretted her question immediately after she asked it.

"JUST WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME!?" 

Dororo started to back off, but then Tahomaru took his hands from his face and bald them into fists. "Dororo," he asked.

"How many demons did my brother have to fight to get his body back"

"I.. I can't remember exactly how many…" but then she noticed the look on Tahomaru's face yet again, he didn't have to say it, Hyakkimaru had fought, toiled, struggled and successfully taken back from the demons; his skin, his limbs, his spine, his ability to speak and all of his five senses except for his sight, Tahomaru already felt guilty about his life costing Hyakkimaru that; but now another demon had taken his brother's peace of mind.

He was determined to get it back.

***

Daigo Kagemitsu was cremated on the same hill as his ancestors, ever since they had established themselves in that part of Ishikawa province.

His death was very much like his life; formal, and cold. Nearly all of the attendees were other lords, allies, and strategic partners, who attended his funeral out of political necessity, none of them were his friends.

Other than these officials, diplomats, and the obligatory priest, the attendees consisted of Lady Nui, her servants, Dororo, Lord Daigo's two sons, and Dr. Jukai, who carried Hyakkimaru as he was still unable to walk properly with his injuries.

The funeral proceeded and concluded with the utmost formality. The priest chanted their Buddhist chants, and Daigo Kagemitsu's body was set ablaze inside his coffin, and when all had been done, everyone returned to their homes.

Only two people stayed behind as the glowing embers died; Lady Nui no Kato, and Tahomaru.

"Father didn't love my brother, did he mother?"

"No, Tahomaru, but in a way, it's relieving, your father was a stubborn man, he will not even consider that he had been mistaken, but now he has redeemed himself. He died to save the son he had wronged, I truly believe that your father's spirit will ascend to  _ *Tengoku _ "

"Mother… did father, really love me"

"Of course he did, my son. Your father may not have always loved Hyakkimaru, I wasn't even sure whether or not he loved me, but he always loved you Tahomaru, that is beyond doubt"

"Mother…" he said the determination in his voice rising, "I am going to get revenge, I swear before you and before my father's grave that I am going to get revenge."

***

“How are you feeling today brother? Better?” asked Tahomaru by his brother’s bedside.

“Better” he responded softly, his knees curled to his chest.

“Do you think… perhaps you want to talk about it?”

Hyakkimaru merely shut his eyes and shook his head before burying it into his knees.

“It's okay brother… It's okay, I am.. We are going to make them pay!”

Hyakkimaru sat up straight and stared at his brother… “Make them pay?... but they are already dead.”

“Nimuru isn’t, This was all his doing! And he is still alive!”

“But… He is gone, brother… He is gone and he took Jō with him”

Tahomaru now stood up, “Hyakkimaru! You have fought and defeated countless Demons! You were never afraid of anything before! Why are you scared now!?” only a split second after he had shouted did Tahomaru realize he was forgetting himself, Hyakkimaru was still rattled.

“Brother I am so sorry,” he said, kneeling back down, “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It's okay Brother...” Hyakkimaru responded, “I just…”

“What is it, brother? You can tell me?”

“Why?... why aren’t you angry at me?... why are you angry at the demon but not me?... It's my fault that you lost father… it's my fault that you lost-”

“Don’t you even say it brother!” Tahomaru spoke firmly, he moved closer to Hyakkimaru and put eased him down onto his bead, “don’t you dare blame yourself for anything thats happened, you are my brother, and I won’t let Nimuru get away with what he has done, he is the only one left isn’t he?”

Hyakkimaru did not respond.

“Just rest now brother, I'm going to make everything right. If you don't want to find Nimuru, and make him pay, then that's alright, you don't have to do anything, just leave it to me.”

And with those words he left him there, Tahomaru walked out onto the porch where Dororo sat.

“You are still worried about my Brother?” Tahomaru asked.

“Of course I am! He was like a brother to me too ya’know”

“Well, he is doing better than he was yesterday, but still...” Tahomaru put his hand to his mending stomach; “while my wounds are only physical, Hyakkimaru’s are deep within his soul… He's scared...” Tahomaru’s fist shook, “Why does this happen to him!? Dororo, why does it seem like my brother always keeps getting the short end of the stick!?”

“Calm down Tahomaru, Aniki is stronger than you think! He made it through terrible things all the time!”

“‘Terrible…. Things’?....” both Dororo and Tahomaru whirled around at the sound of Hyakkimaru’s voice, he was holding himself up against the doorframe, his yukata hanging loosely on his battered body, his companions could now see just how much weight he had lost, (and neither of them thought he could have gotten any skinnier) but there was a fire in his eyes that wasn’t there when Tahomaru had spoken to him only minutes before.

“‘Terrible things’” he repeated, “a lot of ‘terrible things happened’, while I… couldn’t know...” 

Dororo seemed to understand what he had meant by that, Hyakkimaru having been without his senses most of his life, could not always understand the things that happened around him. Now that he could hear, he was beginning to better understand the world around him, its wrongs included.

“Brother,” Tahomaru interjected, “you must go back inside and rest.”

“I know now...” Hyakkimaru continued, “What was happening to Mio”

Tahomaru did not understand, but he did notice Dororo’s reaction, and it was enough to terrify him.

Dororo clasped her hands to her mouth and her eyes widened in absolute shock. “Aniki....” she said trembling, “Is that?... Is that what they did to you?....”

“No,” Hyakkimaru said, “but… almost… If father arrived just a minute later...” he shuttered at the thought, and lost his grip on the wooden door frame, but luckily, Tahomaru reacted quickly and caught him before he fell.

“Brother,” Hyakkimaru continued, almost whispering to Tahomaru; “I want to go with you… I want to kill Nimuru with you, we can’t let things like this-... things like what happened to Mio anymore...” 

"Of course brother. We will kill him together."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Tengoku is the Japanese Buddhist version of heaven.


	8. Bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Brothers plan their hunt for a certain leopard, but this crafty leopard has some surprises of his own. Will Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru prevail? or will things continue to suck for them? 
> 
> P.S. there is a three kingdoms reference in here in case any of you intellectuals out there are reading this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit expositiony, but the ending has so far but the ending of it has so far, been my favorite to write, I think I'm gonna like writing the next chapter even more! I have lots of fun stuff planned!
> 
> Oh, and in case I did not specify, I don't own any of the Characters from Dororo, but I do own Nimuru, Hes MY evil demon! MINE!

"I am afraid it's not possible, I cannot help you boys in your quest against Nimuru"

"But why not!?" Demanded Tahomaru.

"Nothing good will come out of it" answered Biwamaru. "Nimuru is not like any of the other demons you have fought so far, first of all, he never stays in one place for too long, he is not from these islands, and probably only came because the smell of the blood of the demons slain by Hyakkimaru; attracted him here, He is on a completely different level, he does not simply seek human life for sustenance, like so many of the other demons, Nimuru feeds off of human corruption and misery.

Don't you realize boys? Your father's sacrifice thwarted Nimuru's plans, he did not just want to hurt you Hyakkimaru, it will not even be enough for him to have had the disgraced Samurai destroy you completely, Nimuru wanted to use your suffering to corrupt everyone around you, that is why he wanted your mother, brother, and surrogate father to survive that fateful day, rather than allow three good people to die, he wanted to let them live only so that he could break them.

Had Nimuru's plans succeeding, then you would be alive as a shell of a person, and without independence or dignity, your mother would forever be racked with grief and guilt, Tahomaru would fully become a thrall of the demons as he had almost become once before, Dororo would have never been the same again either, Dr. Jukai would have fallen back into the darkness he had tried so desperately to escape from, Daigo Kagemitsu would have been veered off of his path towards redemption and spent the rest of his life as an evil man, and Chijoku no Jō would continue to run rampant, only this time with Nimuru's help, to continue to spread pain and misery throughout Japan.

This is how evil Nimuru truly is; don't you boys see? You have already done it? You've stopped Nimuru from carrying out his evil plan to fruition, you've beaten him, but you will not succeed in beating him again"

Biwamaru's speech however; had done little to shake the resolution of the two brothers who stood before him.

"Priest," Hyakkimaru began, "Nimuru is still in the land of the rising sun, we have to stop him before he hurts more people"

"Indeed," continued the more articulate of the two brothers, "Priest Biwamaru, it is your description of the catastrophe we avoided that gives us all the more reason to destroy this demon. It is precise because Nimuru is such a menace that we should find him, and put an end to him as quickly as possible. Please Biwamaru san, help us in our endeavor"

"Boys" the priest reasoned, this world is full of evil men, even without the assistance of demons like Nimuru; Hyakkimaru," he now turned his head to the more level-headed of the two brothers, "the soldiers who killed Mio because they thought she was a spy, did so without the influence of any demons did they not? that is just one example."

Hyakkimaru looked down at his feet, what Tahomaru was still resolute.

"Priest Biwamaru" he said, "your point is valid but it does not change anything, if we do nothing now, then what is to prevent this demon from trying again? Are we really meant to live in fear? And without closure? No matter what you say Biwamaru san, my brother is not at peace, though his physical wounds are healed, I can see very much that he carries with him a burden that he cannot express well himself, and I for one, will not be able to be at peace with myself; until I know that justice has been done"

"And what if, Young Tahomaru, it is just what Nimuru wants that you come for revenge? If your brother is recaptured or killed, then what will you do? If Nimuru kills you to further scar your brother; then how do you think you will live his life after that? He will not be better off, but worse than he was before"

These words seemed to resonate with Tahomaru, if only a little bit.

Now, it was Hyakkimaru who spoke again, 

"Priest," he spoke softly, "It is true what my brother says… I am… scared of Nimuru… but I don't want to be scared." He declared, his fists began to tremble with determination at his side.

"Nimuru… might come back, he will hurt Tahomaru, Dororo, Mama, Papa… I'm scared of that… I can't keep… being scared of that"

"Brother…" said Tahomaru thoughtfully, "I promise I won't let any of that happen!" He said putting his hands on his brother's shoulders.

Tahomaru then turned to the priest again, "Biwamaru san, we are going to kill Nimuru." he said definitively "if you do not want to come with us, then we understand, but please tell us what you know.

Biwamaru looked at the Shōji window. Though he could not see, he could hear the snow falling outside, it was the last snow of that winter, and both boys would probably begin to move in the spring.

He turned to them with an air of gravity in his voice; "this demon's real name is not Nimuru, that is merely the name that he took when coming to the Land of the rising sun, however, to speak his true name, is to invite him here, as he hears it whenever and wherever it is spoken"

"In that case, his name should not matter," said Tahomaru, "please continue"

"He is an old demon, one of the original seven Messengers to lords even older than our Buddha, he was the spirit of an ancient Leopard that carried off the young, and his true form is that of a white leopard, with, but not the white of a beautiful snow leopard, nay, his skin has the color white of sickness and disease, and instead of fur, it is made up of the scales of a snake, and if you boys fight him, then you must be careful not to get a single scratch from his claws or his fangs, for they carry in them a venom, not one that affects the body, but one that affects the soul, if you are wounded by him, then part of Nimuru's evil will course through your blood, and you will become a demon yourself, if this happens, then there is nothing that can cure you"...

***

A shinobi who worked for Daigo Kagemitsu before, and was now working for Tahomaru; reported back to his master, that the Shogun of a town to the south of Ishikawa; had a new minister. This minister despite having never been heard of before; was now acting as this Shogun's right-hand man, and was helping him to expand his domain, by waging Wars against neighboring provinces.

This new Minister was using the name "Nimuru" and was described as an average-sized man with no real defining characteristics other than the fact that he seemed to be a sanguine man who was constantly smiling.

They had finally found Nimuru, but especially now that they knew just how dangerous he was from Biwamaru's information, and that they could not approach him carelessly, they needed a plan.

They knew where Nimuru was staying, and how to get there, but if they were going to fight him they had to be extremely careful so that they could do it in a way where neither of them would be wounded and turned into a demon, that was a fate that both agreed was worse than death; however, in light of the fact that Nimuru had used a man like Jō in order to defeat them earlier without risking injury to himself; the brothers is surmised that they would be able to take him in a fight, although Hyakkimaru correctly pointed out that Nimuru could have easily scratched or bit either one of them while they fought against Jō, yet didn't. This hinted to just how much more dangerous he could be if they managed to drive him into a corner, and on top of that, as minister to a samurai Lord, he would be guarded by soldiers.

Dororo suggested that Tahomaru use the soldiers that Daigo had at its disposal, but Tahomaru, ever the benevolent (though unofficial) ruler refused to risk the lives of his men on a personal vendetta, however, his decision was soon made for him, when another one of his spies returned from Nimuru's new domain.

"The lord of Kokurin province, Shogun Tōshō has died unexpectedly, and his stepson, 'Tōshō Nimuru' has succeeded him as Shogun"

Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru exchanged surprised looks.

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Tahomaru asked of his spy.

"There is no mistake young master" he replied, "I was in the capital of Kokurin province two nights ago when it happened"

Just then, another man rushed in a scout who was very much out of breath.

"Please forgive my intrusion young lord! The news is urgent!" He panted.

"Well then what are you waiting for?" Ordered Tahomaru impatiently, "what is your report?"

"The Army of Tōshō!" He answered, "they have amassed, and are marching towards Ishikawa province as we speak!"

The two brothers both stood up in alarm, instead of a surgical mission into Kokurin to kill Nimuru, the demon had instead marshaled an army to attack them instead. Nimuru had been two steps ahead of them.

***

* * *

Daigo's lands had barely survived an invasion that took place less than a year ago, and now they were preparing to face another.

Tahomaru wasted no time, once he heard the report, he sprang into action, the standing army of Daigo's first priority would be to evacuate the civilians, the second would be to draft as many fighting-aged men as they could, and requisition as many weapons and animals as would be necessary, finally, to protect the borders of their domain, and meet the enemy army there, in preparation for the battle between Daigo and Tōshō

Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru sat atop their horses at the vanguard the rest of the army behind them and ready, facing the south, and as the scout had predicted, they crept over the horizon, their banners flying high, they outnumbered the men of Daigo, who could not help but feel intimidated, the famous fortune of Daigo was long gone, with one calamity after another slowly wearing them down, they were now left to the winds of fate, but with the two brothers in front of them, not one of these men defected to the enemy.

“Do you see him, brother?” Tahomaru asked Hyakkimaru.

“No” he replied, “I do not see his demonic Aura”

“Then Nimuru is not even among them, that coward!”

“So does this mean that Nimuru is hiding in a palace somewhere?”

“Nay, he must be at a camp further back, even a demon as manipulative as Nimuru could not get an army to march so suddenly without being right behind them”

The Tōshō soldiers did not waste their advantage, the order was given to charge, and a two-pronged attack was launched from the flanks, they charged towards the men of Daigo, however, Tahomaru’s keen eyes noticed that while the men on the flanks charged, the men at the center remained stationary, and these ranks were more thinly formed, yes! That must have been it! He thought, Nimuru had put the most men on the flanks of their formation in order to envelope them but left himself exposed in -

“THE CENTER!” he cried turning to face his men.

“Brave warriors of Daigo! Charge towards their center! THEY WILL BREAK IN THE CENTER!” 

And without any further hesitation, turned and charged towards the enemy center, this aroused the espirit of his men who did the same, each gave their battle cry and followed their young general, charging towards the weak enemy center.

Tahomaru was a prodigy, he was astute to have quickly seen where the enemy line was weakest, and react even quicker, Hyakkimaru could not even see, so he followed his brother, but something still felt wrong, even as he charged with Tahomaru; even as he felt his brother’s confidence, he could still also feel Nimuru’s hand over them, as if it were pulling the strings of this whole battle…

Suddenly! He heard a sound like the crack of thunder! Only closer, and smelt the awful smell of something mixed with sulfur, the first smell he had ever known.

Tahomaru heard and smelt it too, and he also saw it, in the front line of the enemy center, the familiar explosions of gunpowder, dozens of explosions all in a row, obscuring the enemy line in smoke, and showering him and his men with hellfire!

Nimuru’s trap had been sprung! The Arquebus was making its way throughout Japan, and Tahomaru and Hyakkimaru now had their first bitter taste of it! with the enemy flanks now preparing to encircle them, Tahomaru was lost in a sea of gun-smoke, as he and the men who followed him into this trap were engulfed in the dragon's breath of the Tanegashima!...


	9. (The Battle) Is Blood thicker than fear?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots and Lots of action in this chapter!

Tahomaru winced as the guns went off, several holes were blown through his horse, and pieces of the animal spattered onto him before he was thrown from the beast and onto the ground. Bruised, winded, and covered in dirt from the sudden impact, he barely had time to catch his breath before he heard the ground rumble with the footsteps of enemy soldiers as they charged at the shocked and terrified troops of Daigo, he looked up to see the hooves of enemy cavalry charging his way, he braced himself to be trampled, but instead, another horse galloped in front of him blocking their path, and it's rider immediately began to clash with the enemy riders keeping them at bay with a combination of skilled swordsmanship, and the feralness of a protective animal.

His older brother had saved him yet again.

Hyakkimaru fought fiercely against Nimuru's men, and Tahomaru was not about to let his brother fight alone while he could help it, not while he was right there, once had been more than enough for him! He jumped to his feet, and Hyakkimaru held out a hand to him, Tahomaru took it and mounted the same horse as his brother, and with a nod of thanks, he turned and lept from the horse onto the back of an enemy Rider, throwing him off and taking the reigns himself!

The situation was dire, the Arquebuses had not killed that many men, but they were effective in their shock value, and Nimuru's army had the upper hand, the soldiers of Daigo had barely managed to evade encirclement, and we're being pushed back, their line threatening to break at any moment, but Tahomaru cut his way through the thick walls of Tōshō soldiers, followed by Hyakkimaru, to the line!

He raised his sword and rallied his men; "don't give up men! Don't retreat! Hold the line!"

The sight of their commander who was half their average age fighting in front of them, with his face covered in dirt; filled these men with zeal! How could they even think about letting these Tōshō weasels break their line! The Tōshō advanced began to come to a halt, as the Daigo men planted their feet into the ground where they stood! Their fear of death now completely overtaken by the shame that they ever had such fears in the first place!

Spears and arrows flew, swords and halberds clashed, men and horses were cut down, and the smell of blood and spilled innards stank up the air, Tahomaru now finally understood why his late father had wanted to keep him from the battlefield, there was no glory here for him to find, there was nothing here for him to prove; the smell alone made him want to vomit. 

But he kept his fear and disgust In check, Hyakkimaru who had been in battle before, felt the same way, and yet still fought like a soldier. He stuck to his brother's side, and the two of them fought where the fighting was thickest when one faced east, the other faced West, they had their backs to one another, When Tahomaru saw out of the corner of his eye; an enemy soldier with a Nagitana swung at Hyakkimaru! Hyakkimaru skillfully blocked the attack, but the force of the blow sent his light body flying from his horse!

He hit the ground with a thud and skidded across! The enemy grinned and rode his horse towards the boy to finish him off!

"No!" Tahomaru acted swiftly, his horse galloped towards the man, nearly colliding with the other horse! When the man's blade was merely a foot from Hyakkimaru's neck, Tahomaru kept from his horse and tackled the assailant to the ground!

The two of them struggled in the dirt, as the feet of friend and foe alike kicked and tripped over them! This man was larger than Tahomaru, and once he had gotten ahold of him, easily wrestled him off of him! The enemy stood up only to be knocked down again by Hyakkimaru!

Now Tahomaru was back on his feet, his back to his brother's back!

The tide of battle had turned to Daigo's favor, Nimuru's guns were now useless at close range, as the battle turned into a Melee, the Tōsho field commander cried out in an attempt to regain the momentum of his men.

"Don't let up! We still have the advantage! Keep fighting! Keep fighting" But it was in vain. 

Despite their superior numbers, the Tōshō soldiers had lost their legitimate leader only days earlier and were now suddenly thrust into a new war at the orders of a new leader who had only come to their lands a few months ago, and suspiciously enough; been made their Shogun's heir only weeks before his death. 

They just didn't have it in them.

The men of Daigo on the other hand, had their beloved Tahomaru whom they had known all of his life, and who now was reunited with his long lost brother,  _ their  _ long lost prince; fighting right in front of them, showing them that he was just as brave on the battlefield as he had been benevolent at home, and his brother Hyakkimaru was just the same, and as the two of them fought as a team, so did the rest of the men, they charged and pushed forward! 

Once the momentum of the battle began to move in the other direction, the Tōshō line broke! The samurai officers did what they could to maintain order, but the largely citizen army retreated in an undisciplined and disorderly fashion. The battle between the lands of Ishikawa lead by the Daigo clan, and the lands of Kokurin lead by the Tōshō clan; had ended less than 20 minutes after the first shots were fired.

The men of Daigo cheered as the enemy fled, but Tahomaru did not stay to celebrate their victory. Grabbing Hyakkimaru by the wrist, he pulled him along towards where he saw the enemy's * _ Jinmaku. _

"You see him there? Don't you brother?" He said to him, "you can see the Aura of Nimuru right? That bastard still hasn't fled"

"Yes, I can" replied Hyakkimaru, "but brother, please wait!"

Tahomaru stopped and turned towards his brother; "what is it" he asked.

Hyakkimaru looked down sadly at his feet; he desperately wanted to tell his brother something, but now he couldn't find the words to say it, they had just survived an intense battle, and both brothers we're in a state where their nerves still hadn't cooled down, but their enemy was right there in front of them, and Tahomaru was getting impatient.

"C'mon!" He said. "Let's go, you can tell me what you wanted to say later!" And he continued to lead towards the Jinmaku.

"That bastard Nimuru is going to get it" he muttered, as they continued on.

What Hyakkimaru had wanted to tell his brother was that he was scared, not only of facing the monsters that waited ahead of them but of his brother's state, he could see the anger rising in Tahomaru's soul, it was similar to what he had seen back at the burning palace when he began to wrestle with Ashura.

_ *Jinmaku is a sort of Japanese roofless tent where a commander would sit during this period. _

* * *

  
  


The entrance was unguarded, only the white banners bearing the Tōshō crest lined the long circuitous entrance as Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru walked in, upon reaching the center, they saw what they had expected to see, their target Nimuru, sitting on his throne in human form, grinning at the two of them so menacingly, but there was also a tall and miserable-looking old man standing by his side, the man’s Aura had been so faint, that Hyakkimaru hadn’t been able to recognize it through the curtains, now that he stood there but he recognized him now.

Tahomaru looked at this old man, and did not recognize him, he was tall and carried a long sword, but he was completely bald except for some white tufts of hair on the sides of his head, had deep wrinkles in his skin, and stood hunched over Nimuru.

The Man's eyes looked like pits inside of his skull, Tahomaru did not know who he was, and he did not care until he looked over and saw Hyakkimaru.

Tahomaru gasped! Hyakkimaru's eyes were wide with terror! His knees buckled underneath him and he fell onto his hands, cold sweat dripped from his brow, his mouth was open as if he was gasping for air.

"Brother! What's wrong!?” Tahomaru rushed over to him, still keeping his eyes on Nimuru of course.

Tahomaru grabbed his brother’s shoulders and tried to sway him out of his panic attack. 

“Brother! Snap out of it!”

“With an older brother like that,” Nimuru sneered, “I guess you don’t need a little brother, do you Tahomaru?”

“Shut up!” he yelled back when he saw Hyakkimaru shakily lift up his hand, and point a trembling finger at the old man standing beside Nimuru.

“What is it brother? Do you recognize him?” Breathing heavily, Hyakkimaru answered him. “J- J-.... JJō! ” he stammered out.

Tahomaru whirled around in shock! He looked at the old man,  _ that  _ broken-down old man was the infamous Chijoku no Jō!??

“Oh him?” said Nimuru. “Don’t worry about him, I've completely pacified him. Ol’ Jojo here wouldn’t hurt a fly without my say so, actually, he can’t do anything without my specific orders… I remade him you see?“ he said Darkly.

Tahomaru gulped, and Hyakkimaru flinched, he curled into a ball and covered his head with his hands.

“Jojo here can’t talk anymore” Nimuru continued, “However, I did promise him that if he killed one of you… well, I would allow him to die”

At these words, Jō stiffened up, he appeared to now be standing on his toes.

“Well now Jō” Nimuru cooed, “why don’t you go for the brat on his feet, you can finish your ‘half-eaten meal’ later”

Jō raised his ōdachi over his head and screamed an inaudible battle cry! He charged towards Tahomaru, slobber dripping from his open mouth!

Tahomaru blocked his first blow, but was still thrown backward by the force of the strike! Nimuru may have destroyed Jō’s mind through torture, but his strikes were just as powerful as they had always been!

Tahomaru crashed into one of the Tōshō curtains that made up the walls of the Jinkamu! Jō was charging at him like an enraged animal! Swinging his sword wildly and screaming as if it hurt him just to move.

“Brother! On your feet! Quickly!” Tahomaru shouted to Hyakkimaru, but to no avail.

Hyakkimaru’s mind sank to a dark place, to a dark memory that he could no longer suppress in Jō’s presence, all of his life he had been blind, most of his life he had been deaf, his own handicap had sheltered him from some of the true horrors of this world, and he had lived his life in innocence.

While being Jō’s captive; that innocence was nearly stolen from him, Jō had violated him, he had made him feel filthy, even though he had not succeeded in going all the way before Kagemitsu showed up to stop him; the experience had still traumatized him, it shook him to his core, and now, it was as if his ears had stopped working again, he could not respond to Tahomaru calling for him; his body was paralyzed, paralyzed in fear.

Tahomaru struggled to hold his own against Jō, he charged relentlessly, fighting like a man possessed, his eyes bulged out of his skull and he drooled like a dog! He seemed to be in pain every moment that Tahomaru was not dead.

Tahomaru continued to block his strikes, but each time he felt the shock of the sword, each time he was thrown back, each time his arms grew weaker, and his reaction slower, without Hyakkimaru fighting alongside him, Tahomaru could do nothing against Jō except to continue defending, which only seemed to be prolonging the inevitable.

“Brother help me!” he cried, as another swing from Jō’s ōdachi sent him flying through the curtain walls of the Jinmaku, all while Numuru sat in his chair, like a king watching from his throne; observing all of this with a malicious smile on his face. Hyakkimaru stirred a little, and he took his hands from his head.

“Hyakkimaru! Help me!” Tahomaru shouted again, Hyakkimaru did not get up, he began to slowly raise his head, his lips and his fingers still trembling.

Jō made another animalistic noise and swung his sword so hard that Tahomaru was thrown through the air by the impact! His own sword broke in two and flew out of his hand! Tahomaru hit his back against the ground, and barely managed to dodge as Jō chopped at him with the ōdachi!

“Brother you have to snap out of it! I need your help!” 

Hyakkimaru’s hands trembled as he lifted them from the ground.

Tahomaru grunted as he felt Jō’s heavy foot come down on his chest, pinning him in place. The disgusting man; now more animal than man swung his sword over his shoulder, and swung down again! 

Tahomaru looked up at the blade in terror!  _ “This is it! I am going to be decapitated!”  _ he thought, but Jō’s ōdachi did not make it that far.

Hyakkimaru raised one of his swords up high, right in the path of Jō’s wrist...

The ōdachi fell to the ground, along with two meaty hands still clutching its handle. 

Jō did not make a sound, he did not cry out in pain, he was now beyond that sensation, he merely brought his stumps closer to his face, and fell to his knees, tears began to fill his bulging eyes… his hope that Nimuru would release him… was lost.

But Tahomaru could not have cared less, he saw the sword in Hyakkimaru’s hand fall to the ground before his brother fainted…

Tahomaru rushed to his brother’s side, and caught him before his head hit the ground; he saw that his brother was still breathing, he was still fine, he was going to be fine; Hyakkimaru had done it! He had saved him yet again. 

Fear is a factor of survival, but it is also a handicap, Hyakkimaru’s fear of Chijoku no Jō transcended all logic and reason, the very presence of him paralyzed Hyakkimaru, and made him unable to see that Jō was now a pathetic husk of his former self, it made him blind to the fact that his motionlessness did nothing to protect him or Tahomaru. Tahomaru understood this; he understood this fear, and yet Hyakkimaru had acted anyways, he had moved just in time to save his brother.

Tahomaru allowed himself a slight smile; before a different matter demanded his attention. 

_ -BANG!-  _ the shot of an Arquebus rang out as Chijoku no Jō was blown away! Tahomaru turned his head to where Nimuru stood, holding the gun. Their eyes met, and Nimuru gave Tahomaru a mocking grin, before turning around, and running off into the forest.

As the sounds of the gunshot rang loudly in his ears; the indignation returned to Tahomaru! That was the demon responsible for causing this whole mess! Tahomaru sprang to his feet and chased after the demon! Without even stopping to grab a sword.

“Nimuru you bastard! Come back here! Come back and fight!” all he heard in response was Nimuru’s awful laughter, as he disappeared.

Tahomaru stopped now, panting as he stood on the forest path, looking around him in every direction, where in the hell had Nimuru disappeared to? Suddenly, out of the bushes, Tahomaru saw it!

Flying at him; its fangs bared and its claws extended; was the white leopard!

It pounced on the disarmed Tahomaru! Pinning him and cutting into him with its claws! “You foolish boy!” chastised the demon! "What do you think you have done!? Did you really think you stood a chance without your weapons!?” 

Tahomaru’s struggling was futile, the demon bit down on his neck, ripping into his flesh! Tahomaru screamed in agony, as Nimuru went to work, chuckling with Tahomaru’s flesh still in his mouth! Pain shot through the boy's body! his legs thrashed against the forest floor! When suddenly, the demon stopped attacking, and Tahomaru stopped screaming; he noticed standing beside him, was the old priest, Biwamaru, with his sword in the demon’s back.

The white leopard fell over; defeated by Biwamaru’s blade.

“Biwamaru San-” Tahomaru panted as he sat up, clutching the wounded side of his neck, “saved again-... thankyou..” Biwamaru only looked at him sadly.

“Kyahahahaha!” chuckled Nimuru as he lay bleeding on the floor. “I win!... you've been wounded by my fangs boy… what will you do now?... Biwamaru? Did you just save this brat only to have to kill him yourself? Hyahahaha! Better… do that now… before the venom… takes his soul...” and these were the final words of the sadistic demon, as the light left his eyes.

Tahomaru looked up at Biwamaru, the old Priest wore a tragic expression; Biwamaru did not need to say it, his face said it all, it said; “I am so sorry child.”


	10. Thicker than venom, thicker than grief. The final chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the end! The final struggle, and epilogue.

Hyakkimaru and Tahomaru lay side by side, Hyakkimaru looked peaceful, the passing panic had overwhelmed him, but he was not in danger, and all knew that he would recover in time, Tahomaru on the other hand, though he was not conscious; writhed, sweating and muttering feverishly, fighting what seemed to be a losing battle against the demon’s venom which threatened to overtake him.

***

"Where am I?" Tahomaru found himself in deep darkness, he could see nothing around him, but he could see his own hands in front of him, and his own body plain as day. 

He walked around the dark place, but judging by the echo of his footsteps, he could tell that he was walking through a hallway, and yet no matter which direction he walked, he could not feel any walls.

"As anyone here!?" He shouted into the darkness, "answer if you can hear me!?" 

He had not expected to be answered with the sound of children laughing in the distance, but the sound could have been anything and he would have still reacted the same, he sprinted towards the sound of other humans in the vicinity, The sounds becoming more familiar the closer he got, he could start to see their shapes but when he got close enough to see who they were, he stopped. 

He was looking at his childhood self, playing with Mutsu and Hyogo, who are the same age as they had been in comparison to him.

"You three were so happy weren't you?"

Tahomaru's eyes darted towards the source of that sinister voice!

"Nimuru!" He said angrily, seeing the demon stand there in his leopard form "what is this place!?" He demanded.

"That's difficult to answer" Nimuru replied. "Let's just say we are now both looking into your soul"

"My soul?" 

"Yes," said Nimuru gesturing to the scene where the three children played, "for example, this was what gave you happiness and fulfillment, and this…"

As Nimuru spoke, a different image flashed before his eyes. The corpse is of Mutsu and Hyogo, lying in pieces besides the dying horse, "this was done by your _enemy_ " images of Mutsu and Hyogo together with him, images of their severed arms, images of Mutsu lying sick in bed, images of Mutsu dead, images of Hyogo wounded, images of Hyogo dead, images of Hyakkimaru, with blades for arms, with both of his arms, covered on blood, images of the pillar where he, Musty and Hyogo measured their growth, crumbling inside the burning palace….

"You bastard," Tahomaru said enraged, "you won't succeed in turning me against my bro-" but as he spun around to tell Nimuru these words, he saw that Nimuru was no longer standing there, what stood before him; was a mirror-image of himself.

Tahomaru saw a second Tahomaru, staring back at him.

" _ He  _ was not my brother," the mirror-image said to him, "Hyogo was my brother… and Mutsu was my sister, and  _ Hyakkimaru  _ was a stranger, who then became an enemy!"

"Your wrong!" Tahomaru protested, "Hyakkimaru is my blood!"

But his doppelganger rebuffed this; "Hyakkimaru was banished from the lands of Daigo before you were even born, your home was never his home, your father's lands were never his lands, you are raised with Mutsu and Hyogo!" 

"Hyakkimaru didn't kill them!" Tahomaru shouted, knowing where this conversation was headed.

"He is responsible for their deaths" 

"No! My brother had his body stolen from him! The demons are responsible for what happened to Mutsu and Hyogo!"

"The demons also had to protect what was theirs, they had a contract, and Hyakkimaru violated that contract!"

"Shut up!" Tahomaru was getting angry "How could Hyakkimaru have possibly broken a contract which he never made! Our father gave something to the demons which weren't his to give!"

"That's not what you said when we fought him together as a team" came another familiar voice from behind.

Tahomaru turned around again, his eyes grew wide with sentiment, as he looked at the sad faces of Mutsu and Hyogo.

"Did we not agree young master" continued Mutsu, "that the three of us would protect Daigo from any demon who threatened it… together"

Ice ran through Tahomaru's veins, he looked from Mutsu to Hyogo, and then to the doppelganger of himself;

"H- Hyakkimaru saved me, he even sacrificed his eyesight so that I could live…" he then turned to Mutsu and Hyogo and shouted with tears forming in his eyes "... And everything that I said back then about my brother… I didn't mean it! I didn't know it at the time! But I was blaming my brother for the attention that our mother never gave me! I know better than that now! I know that it wasn't his fault! It wasn't his fault that I felt so distant from our mother! And it wasn't his fault that I lost you two!" He declared with all the certainty he could muster.

"If that's the case," said the doppelganger, "then why is it that deep down, I still hate him?"

"Because you! Are not! Me!" Roared Tahomaru angrily! He turned and punched his own mirror image, but the moment his fist grazed the image, the scenery around him all changed, he was no longer standing in a dark corridor, he was now standing at the end of a magnificent hall, one he recognized, it was inside of the palace he grew up in.

He saw many nobles and Samurai there, all decorated in their most ceremonial dress, he saw Mutsu and Hyogo there, beaming proudly as they looked up, they were older than he had remembered them, his parents were there too, also older.

Even though she must have aged 10-15 years in this scene, his mother still looked beautiful, and she smiled warmly, looking in the same direction as Mutsu, Hyogo, and his father, they were looking at his doppelganger, or rather, they were looking at him; grown into a young man, wearing the robes of a Shogun.

Kagemitsu laughed with pride, the way he had done when Tahomaru was much younger, and the way he had hoped his father would laugh with pride again.

His mother beamed so lovingly at him, the way he had always hoped that she would.

And Mutsu and Hyogo stood smiling by his side, the way he had envisioned they always would be.

And then the scenery changed again, the hall was empty, burnt, reduced to rubble, and now we're home for the bugs. Mutsu and Hyogo were dead, his father was dead, the lands of Daigo were crumbling, and his mother's attention was still divided.

His clone walked up behind him. "My dream is over," he said, "and now this is my reality"

Tahomaru trembled all over, he felt his skin crawl. He had just seen something so sweet literally turn to ashes and dust before his eyes, and he was starting to realize... his naivety...  


"Hyakkimaru was never in my life! He was never in my palace! He was never in my father's will or my mother's hearth! We never played together as children! He came to  _ my  _ lands to get his body back, and he destroyed everything! as if I have to love him just because we share the same blood!?"  


"So what do you want me to do about it huh!?" He retorted to his other self, "what's happened has happened, Killing Hyakkimaru won't change any of it back!"

The scene changed again, Tahomaru now felt the heat of fire all around him, and a sword was in his hand, he saw his brother charging at him, he instinctively stepped back, until Hyakkimaru's sword caught on the doorframe; and then the scene froze.

Tahomaru remembered this moment, he and his brother had been fighting, but at this moment, Hyakkimaru who was not used to having this much reach as he just got his arms back; miscalculated his own range, and in a moment, left himself stuck in a vulnerable position.

"I remember this," said the doppelganger.

Tahomaru looked up at him, his clone was not acknowledging him, he was lost in the moment as if this were his own memory.

"Yes, Hyakkimaru's sword got stuck here, I could have killed him then but I hesitated, and he was able to evade me… why did I hesitate?"

Tahomaru looked back at the frozen image of his brother, at this point, Mutsu and Hyogo were already dead, and their palace was already burning, the only thing Tahomaru hadn't yet lost at this point was his father, who died rescuing Hyakkimaru.

Had he killed Hyakkimaru at this point, it would not have saved Mutsu or Hyogo, it would not have saved his home, but it would have been an end to his struggles, the person who ruined everything by coming to Daigo; a person who's existence resulted in the destruction of all he had ever known; he could have ended then and there, and now here he was, reliving that moment, but with time all around him Frozen.

His hesitation would not cost him anything here, he had the leisure to make his decision, and he seemed to know what he wanted.

_"that's right boy, you never loved him"_

He stood up, still holding his sword in his hand, and put the tip to his brother's cheat, just over his heart. Everything about this felt so real…

_"your stupid sense of Samurai Honor kept you devoted to your biological brother, but you realize now that you've always hated him!"_

Tahomaru's mirror-image commented behind him; "yes! If I kill him here! I shall take his body back to the hall of hell! I'll feed him to the demons again! Maybe I can still save Mutsu and Hyogo!"

_ "that's it boy! cut him down! realize your grief and hatred!" _

Tahomaru, still holding his sword, closed his eyes in deep thought, he knew what he had to do, and yet he understood that he would never be able to escape the memory of this moment, he would always look back on it no matter what…

He gripped the handle of his sword and both hands, and with flawless form, and The tear rolling down his cheek, swung down with all his might!...

  
  
  


…. And cut down his other self!

Nimuru cried out in disbelief! "How! Howww!!!!" He roared in the agony of defeat! 

"I am inside of your soul Tahomaru! I have seen what resides in the deepest recesses of your heart!" These words! These thoughts! They are all yours! Your brother ruined your life! You hate him!"

"No!" Tahomaru corrected him. "My brother is the one thing in my life that is keeping me from falling down the same path as my late father!"

"But what about Mutsu and Hyogo!?" Demanded the demon, " you were raised together with them! You and Hyakkimaru are bound only by blood! You two have nothing in common! Are you really going to let him replace those two!"

"No," Tahomaru corrected him again, "Hyakkimaru is not a replacement for them, he is my true brother, and besides..."

He now stood over Nimuru, overpowering him with his sheer presence, Nimuru was looking up at Tahomaru, and Tahomaru was looking down on him, with the same determined expression in his eyes as his father, causing the demon to shrink back as he looked into them!

"...Do you honestly expect me to believe that Mutsu and Hyogo would have wanted me to become a demon?... What kind of fool do you take me for?"

The smug expression fell from Nimuru's face, as he shrank back into the void from which he came, he had been defeated.

  
  


***

The worried spectators sat around Tahomaru as he stirred, Hyakkimaru was now awake, and among them, and as Tahomaru's breathing began to relax, Biwamaru feared the worst.

The boy's aura was flashing red.

Biwamaru sighed deeply,  _ "this child has lost the battle,"  _ he thought to himself sadly.

He turned to the others, he was about to tell them all to leave, as he did not want them to be in the room when he killed this demon, however before he could speak the words, he heard Lady Nui's gasp and turned around to see what she had seen. 

Tahomaru was now awake and sitting upright, but what Biwamaru could see that she hadn't, was that the demonic energy had been completely exorcised from his aura, his soul was clean.

Biwamaru was astonished, Nimuru had existed for thousands of years, and never once had anyone been wounded by him, and not became a demon themselves.

This child had stood up to the demon, and won.

Tahomaru blinked, he saw the shocked face of the Priest Biwamaru, the relieved faces of Dr. Jukai, his brother Hyakkimaru, that brat Dororo, and the face of his beautiful mother, her eyes sparkling with tears of joy…

He was happy to see them all, even Dororo.

* * *

_ In January of the following year  
_

"Nuiiii" Dororo called impatiently, "what are you doing in there for so long?"

"Patience now Dororo" she responded kindly, a  _ Genpuku _ is an important milestone in a boy's life, Tahomaru is going to become a man, and be given his adult name, we women should look our best for the occasion"

"I don't really get what the big deal is," said Dororo rolling her eyes, "what is it with you nobles and-... Wait a minute, did you just say ' _ we women' _ ?"

"There is no need to hide it anymore," said Lady Nui smiling as she came out of her room (wearing the most beautiful Kimono Dororo had ever seen)

"You are no longer traveling on the dangerous road, you're here, and your safe, with us, your new family" and she cupped Dororo's cheek which was now red as a Tomato.

"Besides," she said, "I'm sure your brothers have already noticed, your starting to become very pretty, now why don't we go and get you changed into some nicer cloth-" Nui was cut off by the surprise of Dororo's little body crashing into her; in a teary embrace. She smiled and patted the girl's head lovingly, Dororo's days of petty theft and vagrancy were behind her, she had found her new home, and adoptive family, even Tahomaru, she now referred to as "Aniki" the same as Hyakkimaru.

The two ladies now entered the courtyard where the ceremony was taking place; dressed to impress.

Hyakkimaru noticed and smiled at them, his tattered Yukata had been exchanged for a Kimono of the same color and pattern, over which he wore a white Jinbaori, they turned their attention to Tahomaru, the man of the hour. He knelt before a priest, and a Samurai's Helmet was placed on his head.

He would be given the new name, ' _ Daigo Akimitsu'  _ Akimitsu meaning "the bright light of Daigo" and he ruled the lands of Daigo with strength and mercy.

As the lands prospered, Hyakkimaru and Dororo enjoyed their new palace lives, free from the stresses of politics and power that Akimitsu dealt with. However, as comfortable as the palace life is, it's still underwhelming for one used to the adventures of life on the road.

On one night many years later, just like many other nights before, Akimitsu was in his study on the top floor of his study, his new wife already asleep downstairs, he had just finished reviewing a report on the review from this season's harvest, and had a lot more tedious work to complete afterward, when he heard the sound of pebbles thrown onto the balcony. He stepped outside, and looked down at the two who were waiting for him, Dororo was waving at him.

"C'mon Aniki!" She called, "you need another escape!"

Tahomaru grinned mischievously back at them, it was just going to be another one of their spontaneous adventures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this story is finally complete! a big thank you to anyone who read this far! please leave a Kudos if you liked it, and feel free to critique it as well, I can take it!

**Author's Note:**

> So this story could end up getting out of hand, I have some very messed up ideas which I can't wait to use, but in the meantime, let me know what yall thought of it so far, I'd like to hear everyone's feedback.


End file.
